Landmark Judgment on Abortion Right of Unmarried Woman: X v. The Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department Govt. of NCT of Delhi & Anr [SLP] (C) No. 12612 passed on 29.09.2022
This is the historical Judgment on abortion right of unmarried women. In this case, the Supreme Court permitted unmarried women for abortion up to 24 weeks. The Court held that “all unmarried & single women have the exact same right to safe & legal abortion up to 24 weeks as married women. The Court further declared that exclusion of unmarried women from 20-24 weeks gestation period under the MTP Rules to be arbitrary & unconstitutional”. The Court further held that Abortion is a reproductive fundamental right & cannot be denied by any doctors or hospital.
