New Delhi, Feb. 6 -- The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the medical termination of a 30-week pregnancy of a girl who had conceived while she was a minor, holding that a court cannot compel any woman, much less a minor, to continue an unwanted pregnancy.
A Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan emphasised that the reproductive autonomy of the pregnant girl must be accorded due weight, particularly when she has clearly and consistently expressed her unwillingness to continue the pregnancy.
The Court observed that the central issue before it was the right of the minor to continue the pregnancy, which, on the face of it, was "illegitimate" as the girl herself was a minor and was facing pregnancy due to an unfortu...