New Delhi: The disparity between married and unmarried women in this regard is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court declared today, and all women have the right to a safe and legal abortion. According to the Supreme Court, unmarried women have the right to have an abortion if their pregnancy, which began in a consensual relationship, is between 20 and 24 weeks old.
On August 23, a bench made up of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, A.S. Bopanna, and J.B. Pardiwala reserved judgement in the matter. The case started when a 25-year-old single woman requested a pregnancy termination at 23 weeks and 5 days, claiming that her pregnancy was the result of a consenting relationship. She was unable to give birth to the baby though because she was still single and her partner had declined to propose to her. She was denied interim relief by a division bench of the Delhi High Court, though.