Justin Trudeau says his Liberals are examining at using legislation to ensure a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion will be permanently protected.

Speaking on his way into the weekly caucus meeting, the prime minster says the ministers of health and the status of woman are looking at existing laws around the issue to make sure the rights of women are protected now as well as under any future governments.

During last year’s election, the Liberals pledged to introduce regulations under the Canada Health Act to ensure services were clearly medically necessary and to be publicly funded.

Trudeau’s comments come in the wake of an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court which would strike down the right to legal abortions in that country and leave it up state governments to make abortion laws.

Abortion is decriminalized in this country because of a 1988 Supreme Court decision, but no legislation has ever been passed to enshrine that right into law.