The Supreme Court of India’s judgement on 29th September, 2022, held that unmarried women have the same right to abortion as married women. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 (MTP Act),1 most recently amended in 2021 (Amendment Act),2 governs the circumstances under which abortions are legally permitted in India. The law is an exception to criminalisation of abortion under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This commentary explains the Amendment Act of 2021 from the perspective of reforms introduced in the original MTP act and highlights the insights of the landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India.
Jain D. Supreme Court of India judgement on abortion as a fundamental right: breaking new ground. Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2023 Dec;31(1):2225264.