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The US Supreme Court's decision to overturn a woman's right to abortion has left experts concerned there could be cultural impacts in Australia. Associate legal director with the Human Rights Law Centre Adrianne Walters said the decision will be "stripping millions of American women...the legal right to decide what happens to their bodies" and Australians should be paying attention. "What it demonstrates is the need for constant vigilance in Australia. Make no mistake, anti-abortion extremists in Australia will be emboldened," she said. "We know this because for a number of years, we have dealt with the tactics of politicians with extreme anti-abortion views who have borrowed from the US anti-abortion playbook to try and import reforms in Australia." The 1973 Roe v Wade ruling recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it across the US with a 6-3 vote to end abortion rights by the Supreme Court's conservative majority. Ms Walters noted "we don't have a constitutional right to abortion" in Australia but instead have state and territory laws "that regulate access to abortion". "The trend in recent years has been towards decriminalising abortion and recognising abortion as healthcare like any other healthcare matter," she said. Associate professor in constitutional law from the Australian National University Ryan Goss also said Australia's system of rights is "very different to the United States" when it comes to the protection of women's reproductive rights. READ MORE "While there are similarities between the American constitutional system and ours, the differences particularly on things like this are vast," he said. "There are many issues that in Australia are squarely and fairly in the realm of political branches, that is to say parliament and government, that in America on the other hand find themselves in the realm of the courts." While the systems differ and "the impact of this decision is likely to be minimal", Professor Goss acknowledged Australia is often watching the US. "I think there's a long history of politicians of all political stripes paying close attention to what happens in the United States or what happens in Britain...in trying to take their lead from the United States or Britain," he said. Former senator and assistant minister for women Amanda Stoker was a recent example of a politician looking to the US after a draft ruling of Roe v Wade was leaked in May, she attended an anti-abortion rally alongside Senator Matt Canavan and Senator Malcolm Roberts. Former prime minister Scott Morrison defended Ms Stoker's attendance of the rally saying "it's a free country". In addition Victorian MP Bernie Finn was expelled from the Liberals over a controversial social media post in May, saying he was praying for abortion to be banned in Victoria. In June Mr Finn announced he will lead the Democratic Labour Party at the November state election in support of workers, small businesses and traditional families. Most recently Mr Finn posted on Saturday the overturning of Roe v. Wade was "a great day for the world". These examples are what Ms Walters sees as important reminders for Australians to protect their rights. "We need to make sure that members of parliament know that the people they represent see abortion as a health care matter, as a human right and we need to make sure that we're electing pro-choice politicians," she said. Australia's issue of accessibility Historically in Australia, women's rights are often contested by conservative groups said historian from the Australian National University Frank Bongiorno, however what remains to be an issue is accessibility. "It's certainly true that during the 70s a kind of backlash did emerge and you had organisations with names like right to life and women who want to be women ... who basically opposed that kind of liberalisation around women's reproductive rights," he said. "It's always contested, there's always argument, but...actual provision of abortion services are still very uneven in Australia so that's where a lot of the struggles have been." This is what Ms Walters also said is Australia's next challenge as women from rural and regional areas still "have to drive for hours or ... fly interstate". "We need to keep advocating for equitable access to abortion around Australia," she said. "There's so much work to be done in different states and territories in terms of making sure every person can access abortion care through the public health system, regardless of where they live, who they are or how much money they make."

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