US EditionSupreme Court allows abortion of 30-week pregnancy of a minor, upholds right to reproductive autonomy
The Supreme Court emphasized reproductive rights and mental well-being, allowing termination beyond 24 weeks after medical board clearance and the minor's refusal to continue pregnancy.
- On Friday, the Supreme Court of India permitted the petitioner, who conceived as a minor, to undergo a 30-week pregnancy termination at JJ Hospital, Mumbai.
- Under India's Medical Termination of Pregnancy, beyond 24 weeks only a court can authorise termination, and the High Court had earlier suggested adoption, which the Supreme Court disagreed with.
- The petitioner, who conceived at 17, is now 18 years and four months old; a medical board found no grave risk to termination, and the court noted she does not want to bear the child.
- The Supreme Court held that the judiciary cannot force a woman to become a mother against her will, placing reproductive autonomy at the centre of constitutional rights and prioritising consent and dignity.
- Justice BV Nagarathna warned that delays force women seeking late-term abortions to `quacks and unauthorised doctors`, questioned rigid timelines with `Whose interest do we look into?`, and the court accepted the appellant's submissions.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Can't compel woman to complete pregnancy, says Supreme Court
New Delhi: Directing medical termination of a 30-week pregnancy of a 17-year-old girl, the Supreme Court on Friday, February 6, said that courts cannot compel a woman, much less a minor, to continue a pregnancy. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the girl had become pregnant while being in a relationship with a neighbourhood boy and sought to medically terminate her pregnancy. The bench asked Mumbai‘s JJ Hospital to u…
Supreme Court allows termination of 30-week pregnancy of teen, says 'can't compel any woman'
The decision comes in the case of a woman who conceived at the age of 17 and is currently 18 years and four months old, with the pregnancy having progressed to an advanced stage of 30 weeks.
Court can't compel any woman: Supreme Court okays termination of 30-week pregnancy
The Supreme Court has allowed the termination of a 30-week pregnancy of a minor, emphasising reproductive autonomy. This landmark ruling highlights the primacy of a woman’s right to choose, even in complex late-term cases.
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