Commonwealth Policy Center

Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen human embryos are children under state law. This ruling comes after three couples filed wrongful death lawsuits when their frozen embryos were accidentally destroyed at a fertility clinic. While critics complain that this ruling will establish constitutional rights for fertilized eggs, it’s important to remember that human life begins at some point. That means you and I once began as microscopic embryos. The ruling is in accord with the biological truth that a new life comes into existence when an embryo is formed. Regardless of the size, a human embryo is indeed human life. Chief Justice Tom Parker said in his concurring opinion, “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”