The Supreme Court ruled that a woman’s reproductive freedom takes precedence over the rights of an unborn child on Friday, February 6,. The Court stated, "If a woman does not wish to complete her pregnancy, the Court cannot compel her to do so."
A bench headed by Justice BV Nagarathna set aside an order by the Bombay High Court, which had previously ruled that the woman must give birth after reaching 30 weeks of pregnancy. The High Court had suggested that if she did not wish to keep the child after birth, she could put the infant up for adoption.
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Permission Granted To Terminate 30-Week Pregnancy
In its judgment delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court granted the woman permission to terminate her 30-week pregnancy. The Court emphasised that no woman can be forced to continue a pregnancy against her will.
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The case involves a young woman who became pregnant at the age of 17 and is now 18 years and four months old. Her pregnancy has reached the 30-week mark.
The Supreme Court noted that the pregnancy resulted from a relationship with a friend and that continuing the pregnancy would be both mentally and physically traumatic for the girl.
After examining the Medical Board's report, the Supreme Court bench concluded that there would be no serious risk to the young woman if the pregnancy were to be terminated.