Supreme Court invoked Article 142, which empowers it to pass any decree or order necessary to do 'complete justice', while setting aside a Tamil Nadu man's conviction.
HC asked adolescent boys to 'respect' young girls while quashing an FIR against a youth convicted under POCSO. It also suggested consensual sexual acts among adolescents be decriminalised.
In 10 July ruling in case stemming from 25-year-old man's relationship with 17.5-year-old, Bombay HC says age of consent at 18 is 'criminalising consensual adolescence/teenage relationships'.
From time to time, courts have highlighted how it's difficult to apply the act in cases when teenagers are involved. Consensual relationships & local customs are also grey areas.
On 29 May 1951, Jawaharlal Nehru defended adding 'reasonable restrictions' to Article 19, arguing that free speech must be balanced with national security and unity.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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