Washington, Jun 24 (IANS): Millions of women in the US are expected to lose the legal right to abortion as the country's Supreme Court overturned a 50-year-old ruling that legalised it nationwide.

The court struck down the landmark Roe vs Wade decision, weeks after an unprecedented leaked document suggested it favoured doing so, the BBC reported on Friday.

The judgement will transform abortion rights in the US, with individual states now able to ban the procedure.

Half of the US states are expected to introduce new restrictions or bans.

Thirteen have already passed so-called trigger laws that will automatically outlaw abortion following the Supreme Court's ruling.

A number of others are likely to pass new restrictions quickly.

In total, abortion access is expected to be cut off for about 36 million women of reproductive age, according to research from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organisation that provides abortions.