The Duke of Sussex compared the reversal of Roe v. Wade to the war in Ukraine in comments at the United Nations for Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18.
His intervention provoked a retort from Alito, author of the conservative majority’s opinion, who said the duke’s words “really wounded me.”
The Supreme Court justice has himself come in for criticism, with CNN host Zakaria saying on air: “What Alito did, behaving like a cheap, like a commentator, and not a particularly good one at that, was frankly disgusting.
“I thought it was the most undignified performance by a Supreme Court justice I have seen in my lifetime, I don’t think any of his predecessors would have done it. I think it’s scandalous.”
What Prince Harry Said About ‘Constitutional Rights’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their third visit to New York as a post-royal couple for the duke’s July 18 keynote speech at the United Nations in honor of the late former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Harry said: “This has been a painful year in a painful decade. We’re living through a pandemic that continues to ravage communities in every corner of the globe.
“Climate change wreaking havoc on our planet, with the most vulnerable suffering most of all. The few, weaponizing lies and disinformation at the expense of the many.
“And from the horrific war in Ukraine to the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States, we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom—the cause of Mandela’s life.”
What Samuel Alito Said in Response to Prince Harry
Alito used a speech at the Religious Liberty Summit in Rome, Italy, to pick up Harry and other world leaders on their condemnation of the Roe v. Wade ruling.
The Supreme Court justice name-checked outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, adding that “he paid the price,” in apparent reference to the Conservative Party leader’s resignation.
Alito then added: “But what really wounded me was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision whose name may not be spoken with the Russian attack on Ukraine.
“Well, despite this temptation I’m not going to talk about cases from other countries,” he continued. “Ultimately, if we are going to win the battle to protect religious freedom in an increasingly secular society, we will need more than positive law.”
Fareed Zakaria’s Condemnation of Samuel Alito Speech
Zakaria condemned Alito for countering the backlash against the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which in 1973 legalized abortion across America.
Following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling, states can now decide whether or not abortion should be legal, paving the way for some to institute bans.
Zakaria said: “I think that it really damages the court’s legitimacy. Look, one of the things that has kept the court’s legitimacy over time, has been a sense of dignity. A sense of majesty. A sense that the justices are doing what they’re doing for serious constitutional reasons, they don’t pay attention to the chitter-chatter.
“Nobody elected them. The reason they have that legitimacy is, to put it very simply, that they behave themselves. That they behave in accordance with the kind of dignity and majesty of the court.
“What Alito did, behaving like a cheap, like a commentator, and not a particularly good one at that, was frankly disgusting,” Zakaria continued. “I thought it was the most undignified performance by a Supreme Court justice I have seen in my lifetime, I don’t think any of his predecessors would have done it. I think it’s scandalous.”
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also criticized Alito last week for making “politicized” comments about foreign leaders voicing opinions on the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
