The First Amendment of Institute of Family and Life Advocates vs. Medical Expertise

With its decision in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) vs. Becerra (2018), the then conservative majority on the United States’ Supreme Court concluded that the California FACT Act violated NIFLA’s right to free speech. The FACT Act an acronym for Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency was put in place to remedy misleading, deceptive, and harmful practices by NIFLA’s crisis pregnancy centers and marketplace communications. Ultimately, the 5-4 majority set aside the reasonable arguments put forward by the American Medical Association in a decision that defers to fundamentalist free speech jurisprudence, diminishes the standing of medical experts, and leaves marketplaces for reproductive products and services impoverished by misinformation.