SCOTLAND’S First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned the lives of women in the US will be put at greater risk if a landmark decision legalising abortion is overturned.

Reports have suggested the US Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 case that legalised abortion across the country. 

The unprecedented leak prompted a huge outcry, with protesters gathering in Washington DC within hours of the report emerging.

Sturgeon tweeted: “The right of women to decide what happens to our own bodies is a human right. 

“And experience tells us that removing the legal right to abortion doesn’t stop abortions happening - it just makes them unsafe and puts the lives of women at much greater risk #RoeVWade.”

READ MORE: Roe v Wade: US Supreme Court to overturn abortion ruling, leak suggests

However in response, campaign group Back Off Scotland renewed calls for buffer zones to be installed around clinics in Scotland that provide abortion services to protect women from intimidation by protesters.

The group tweeted: "Expressing outrage only goes so far. You’re the First Minister, you have a Women’s Health Minister and the Lord Advocate in your cabinet.

"You MUST uphold reproductive rights in this country and introduce buffer zones NOW."

A document labelled “Opinion of the Court” shows a majority of the US court’s justices earlier this year threw support behind overturning the 1973 case that legalised abortion across the country.

According to the political news organisation Politico, who published the document in full – the draft opinion shows the court voted to strike down the landmark case.

It is unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter, but if it does overturn the decision it means each state will be able to decide whether to restrict or ban abortions.

However "trigger laws" could instantly make abortion illegal in 22 US states.

Until now, the US Supreme court has allowed states to regulate but not ban abortion before around 24 weeks.

There has been a push to restrict abortion in several Republican-led states — Oklahoma being the most recent — even before the court issues its decision.

Six of the nine current justices on the court were appointed by Republican presidents, with the other three picked by Democratic presidents.

READ MORE: Abortion Rights Scotland rally planned for Edinburgh amid hospital protests anger

If verified, the document marks a shocking revelation of the high court’s secretive deliberation process, particularly before a case is formally decided - with a full-blown investigation also likely to take place into the unprecedented leak.

The document published by Politico was labelled “1st Draft” of the “Opinion of the Court” and was reportedly in reference to a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks – a case known as Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation.

The Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling in the case, and opinions — and even justices’ votes — have been known to change during the drafting process. The court is expected to rule on the case before its term is up in late June or early July.

The draft is signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, who was appointed by former President George W Bush.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states.

“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,” it adds.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon condemns anti-abortion protestors at FMQs

The draft opinion in effect states there is no constitutional right to abortion services and would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.

Politico said only that it received “a copy of the draft opinion from a person familiar with the court’s proceedings in the Mississippi case along with other details supporting the authenticity of the document”.

The Supreme Court and the White House have yet to comment.