No Court Can Force Woman to Continue Pregnancy Merely Because Child Can be Given for Adoption

The Supreme Court held that no court can compel a woman, especially a minor, to continue with an unwanted pregnancy merely because the child could later be given up for adoption.

Allowing a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her over seven-month pregnancy, the Court emphasized that the pregnant woman’s choice and reproductive autonomy must remain paramount.

It observed that forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term would inflict grave mental, emotional, and physical trauma and violate her rights under Article 21.

The Court further noted that reproductive decisions are integral to bodily autonomy, dignity, privacy, and personal liberty under the Constitution.