AG Wrigley says North Dakota Supreme Court has "taken on the role of legislative body" following abortion ruling

(Fargo, ND) -- North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley is criticizing Thursday's decision by the State Supreme Court which allows abortions to continue in the state.

"I don't find this opinion to be very respectful of the other branches of government, of the traditions of our state, the actual words of our constitution, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise," said Wrigley.  

On Thursday, the court determined the state's trigger ban on abortion is "likely unconstitutional", allowing services to continue while a case pertaining to the trigger ban moves forward in a lower court. 

Wrigley says the decision by the court shows the justices "have taken on the role of a legislative body". 

Wrigley made the comments while appearing Friday on "What's on Your Mind" on AM 1100 The Flag.   

In a statement issued Thursday, the attorney general criticized the justices for basing their decision in part on articles printed in a British medical journal in 1914.

"The Court today relies on two 1914 British medical journal articles to point out that it has long been known that abortion can be utilized for health reasons, in addition to protecting the life of the mother. But such an exception has never been recognized or codified in any of the North Dakota statutes regulating abortion before these 1914 articles or thereafter."