As if politics in the United States weren’t overheated enough, now comes the news, in the form of a leaked draft opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, that the constitutional right to get an abortion is likely to be overruled by a conservative majority on the court.

The draft opinion, leaked to news outlet Politico, appears to show the court voting to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that gave women broad access to terminations.

As the news broke, demonstrators – both abortion foes and advocates – gathered in front of the court. Newspapers blared the headlines while social media outlets were awash with speculation and outrage, interspersed with long threads by law professors.

The Conversation turned to Morgan Marietta, a political scientist at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, who is a Supreme Court scholar, to help readers understand the ramifications if the draft ruling becomes the actual one. Marietta points out that the right to get an abortion will no longer depend on the Constitution; it will largely depend on where someone lives.

For her part Emma Long unpacks the draft opinion, and what to expect next.