Clarence Thomas calls leak of supreme court abortion draft ‘tremendously bad’

Conservative US justice fears permanent damage to fragile' institution and decries protests at justices' homes

The leak of a draft supreme court opinion on abortion rights has turned the body into a place where you look over your shoulder", the conservative justice Clarence Thomas said on Friday, adding that the reputation of the fragile" institution may have been permanently damaged by the breach.

The opinion suggests the court is poised to strike down a constitutional right to abortion provided by Roe v Wade nearly 50 years ago, and has caused social rifts over the issue to deepen, with nationwide protests to the draft decision expected across US cities on Saturday.