"Decision Is Hers Alone To Make": Court Allows 32-Week Pregnancy Termination
NDTV
The Bombay High Court allowed a married woman to terminate her 32-week pregnancy after the foetus was detected with severe abnormalities.
A woman has the right to choose whether to continue her pregnancy or not and the decision is hers and hers alone to make, the Bombay High Court said while allowing a married woman to terminate her 32-week pregnancy after the foetus was detected with severe abnormalities.
A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and S G Dige, in its judgment of January 20, a copy of which was made available on Monday, refused to accept the the medical board's view that the even though the foetus has serious abnormalities it should not be terminated as the pregnancy is almost at its fag end.
The woman had approached High Court seeking to terminate her pregnancy after a sonography revealed the foetus had severe abnormalities and that the baby would be born with physical and mental disabilities.
"Given a severe foetal abnormality, the length of the pregnancy does not matter. The petitioner has taken an informed decision. It is not an easy one. But that decision is hers, and hers alone to make. The right to choose is of the petitioner's. It is not the right of the Medical Board," the court said in its order.
