A federal appeals court has ordered the dismissal of legal challenges to the new Texas law against abortion, in what pro-life advocates called “a substantial pro-life victory.”

The 5th Circuit court ordered a lower court to dismiss lawsuits against state employees, since the law does not give state officials the authority to prosecute illegal abortions. That authority is given to individual citizens, and the courts have ruled that abortion advocates cannot bring suit to challenge the law until they can demonstrate some alleged harm—that is, until an abortionist is prosecuted.