Judge rules against US healthcare law
Published:Tuesday | December 14, 2010 | 5:54 PM
A federal judge in the US state of Virginia has ruled against a key part of the Obama administration's law on healthcare reform.
The decision by US District Judge Henry Hudson is the first finding against the law passed in March.
Judge Hudson has agreed with Virginia’s argument that the law for Americans purchase healthcare or face a fine is unconstitutional.
Other lawsuits are pending, but the US Supreme Court will have the final word.
In a 42-page decision, the judge wrote that the disputed provision was neither within the letter nor the spirit of the Constitution.
But he declined to invalidate the entire law, in what correspondents say was a small victory for Barack Obama.
The law on healthcare reform has become a centrepiece of Obama's presidency.
It aims to extend health insurance to millions of Americans partly by requiring the mostly young, healthy Americans who currently forgo insurance to purchase it.