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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | SC slams govt's 'casual' approach on gay sex

SC slams govt's 'casual' approach on gay sex

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published Published on Mar 21, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 21, 2012
-The Times of India

The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticized the Centre's "casual approach" during the hearing on appeals challenging a Delhi High Court verdict diluting Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to decriminalize consensual gay sex between consenting adults in private.

The ministries of home affairs and health had opposed dilution of Section 377 before the HC but accepted the verdict and did not appeal against it in the apex court. However, in its arguments, the MHA reiterated its arguments which were advanced before the HC only to retract them. The ministry of health provided data about homosexuals running high risk of HIV while keeping mum on the legal issue.

Given the inadequate assistance from the two ministries coupled with the fact that their affidavits were filed by not so senior officers, a bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya said, "In such matters, the minimum expected is that the secretary will file affidavit. They have taken this case very casually. This practice needs to be condemned and we are going to say it in our judgment."

The politically correct stand of remaining neutral to the Delhi HC verdict also did not go down well with the court. The bench said, "We do not know in how many cases they have been neutral. This is one of the peculiar cases where the Centre, which had contested the matter in the high court, is taking a neutral stand. Which one is to be accepted, the affidavits filed in the high court or its stand of neutrality in the Supreme Court?"

The bench's observations came during arguments by senior advocate Ashok Desai on behalf of noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who pitched in support of the Delhi HC verdict. The court wanted to know why the "revolutionary filmmaker" was not bringing in a private member's bill in Parliament for amendment to Section 377.

Desai said the fate of private member's bills was well known. He said at present, it was more difficult because even the government was finding it tough to amend laws to bring in much needed changes and preferred to leave it to the constitutional courts to fill the gaps through judicial pronouncements.

The counsel said the Law Commission had also recommended dilution of Section 377. He said it was rather contradictory on the part of the government not to appeal against the HC verdict and the two ministries presenting different views to the apex court.

The court too lamented the lack of serious legislative thought in the last 60 years towards amending Section 377 of IPC.


The Times of India, 21 March, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-slams-govts-casual-approach-on-gay-sex/articleshow/12347791.cms


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