Newly enrolled advocates have moved the Delhi High Court challenging their exclusion from the Bar Council of Delhi electoral roll, arguing that the pendency of AIBE results cannot be a valid ground to deny their voting rights today.
A PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court today challenging the exclusion of non-consensual sodomy or other ‘unnatural’ sexual relations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Court agreed to hear the matter. Critics are concerned about the lack of legal recourse for non-consensual acts, especially for men and transgender individuals. Several legal developments have influenced the perspective on sexual acts, including the Rights of Transgender Persons Act of 2019 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012. The omission of Section 377 from the BNS leaves men and transgender individuals without legal recourse for non-consensual sexual acts and fails to address sexual acts involving animals.
The Supreme Court today has sought the Central Government’s response on a PIL challenging the exclusion of single unmarried women and transgender persons from the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. Justice Nagarathna emphasized the need to handle this case separately, as it addresses specific issues for transgender and single women. Dr. Aqsa Shaikh argues that the exclusion violates constitutional rights.