Archive · 2 Jan 2026
HC Allows Pregnant Woman Abortion Without Husband's Consent
A young woman in India was going through a divorce and was very sad and worried.
She was also pregnant and wanted to end her pregnancy.
The court said that she didn't need her husband's permission to do this.
The doctors said she was healthy enough to have the procedure.
The court agreed and said she could go ahead with it.
This is because the law doesn't say that the husband's permission is needed.
The court also said that a married woman knows best about what she wants to do with her pregnancy.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed a 21-year-old woman to terminate her pregnancy without her husband's consent.
The woman was in the second trimester of her pregnancy and was experiencing depression and anxiety.
The court noted that the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, does not require the husband's consent.
A medical board recommended that the woman was fit to undergo the termination.
The court directed that the woman could get the pregnancy terminated at PGIMER or any other authorized hospital.
- Who
- A 21-year-old married woman from Punjab
- What
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed her to terminate her pregnancy without her husband's consent
- When
- The decision was made on December 24, 2025
- Where
- Punjab and Haryana High Court, India
- Why
- The woman was in a turbulent relationship with her husband, had divorce proceedings ongoing, and was experiencing depression and anxiety
- Petitioner's Age
- 21 years
- Marriage Date
- May 2, 2025
- Gestational Age
- 16 weeks + 1 day
- Medical Board's Recommendation
- Patient is medically fit for MTP
- Court's Decision Date
- December 24, 2025
- Medical Report Date
- December 23, 2025
- Act Cited
- Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
- Judge
- Justice Suvir Sehgal