The Indian Supreme Court earlier on Thursday gave a massive order regarding abortions and observed – “Women, married or unmarried, are entitled to safe and legal abortion”, Live Law reported. The order is being viewed as one of the most progressive orders to come from the Apex Court in the recent time and is widely appreciated on social media users.
The order came from the bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, JB Pardiwala, and AS Bopanna, who were hearing a case on the interpretation of the MPT (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) Act.
In its order, the Supreme Court bench observed that many married women are survivors of sexual assault and rape, and often become pregnant by non-consensual act by their husband. The bench ruled that pregnancy is solely a women’s prerogative and only circumstances such as economical, cultural and social, play a part in this.
The Supreme Court also observed that merely the marital status of a woman must not be the reason for her to be deprived of her right of abortion. It also ruled that woman – married or unmarried – will be entitled to terminate pregnancy within 24 weeks.
The Supreme Court bench gives its interpretation after a July order, in which the Court had allowed an unmarried woman to abort her 24-week-old foetus.
