CLAIMING DIGNITY: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS & THE LAW Human Rights Law Network CLAIMING DIGNITY: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS & THE LAW Human Rights Law Network Human Rights Law Network’s Vision • To protect fundamental human rights, increase access to basic resources for marginalised communities, and eliminate discrimination. • To Create a justice delivery system that is accessible, accountable, transparent, and effi cient and affordable, and works for the underpriviledged. • Raise the level of pro-bono legal experience for the poor to make the work uniformly competent as well as compassionate. • Professionally train a new generation of public interest lawyers and paralegals who are comfortable in the world of law as well as in social movements and who lean from such movements to refi ne legal concepts and strategies. CLAIMING DIGNITY: REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS & THE LAW Introduction by: Kerry McBroom Compiled and Edited by Cheryl Blake © Socio Legal Information Centre ISBN : 81-89479-84-9 January 2013 Design: Cover Photo Credit : Emily Schneider Cover Design : Karla Torres Printed by: Shivam Sundram Published by: Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) A division of Socio Legal Information Centre 576 Masjid Road, Jangpura New Delhi 110014 India Ph: +91-1124379855/56 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.hrln.org Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of HRLN. Every effort has been made to avoid errors, ommissions, and innacuracies. HRLN takes sole responsibility for any remaining errors, ommissions or inaccuracies that may remain. Note on Footnote: The authors have employed a simple and straight-forward formatting style to maximize the usability of the sources cited. *Any section of this volume may be reproduced without prior permission of the Human Rights Law Network for public interest purposes with appropriate acknowledgment ii Acknowledgments First, the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) expresses its sincere gratitude to the MacArthur Foundation for its generous support in funding this publication and for its long standing relationship with HRLN. We would like to extend our gratitude to Cheryl Blake who complied the judgments and wrote the summaries for each case. It was a pleasure to work with you at HRLN. We would also like to thank Colin Gonsalves for his continued dedication to Reproductive Rights issues. HRLN also expresses its gratitude to Anubha Rastogi for laying the foundation for this update on reproductive rights jurisprudence in the fi rst edition Claiming Dignity. HRLN is deeply grateful to Kerry McBroom, Jayshree Satpute, and Sanjai Sharma for their guidance and contributions through all stages of the research and writing process. Without their thoughtful feedback, this project would not have been possible. HRLN also wishes to thank Karla Torres and Shaneka Davis for their invaluable help in polishing the fi nal version. Special thanks to Emily Schneider for the cover photo. Finally our thanks to Preetha Subhash and Shivam Sundram for making this book a reality. iii Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 Abortion .......................................................................................................................39 Chandigarh Administration v. Nemo, High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh C.W.P. 8760/2009, Supreme Court Appeal 5845/2009 ................................39 Nikhil Datar v. Union of India, Bombay High Court WPL 1816/2008, Supreme Court SLP 5334/2009 ..............................................................................................72 Child Marriage ............................................................................................................82 Forum for Fact Finding Documentation and Advocacy v. Union of India, Supreme Court W.P. (C) 212/2003 .........................................................................................82 Coercive Population Measures ....................................................................................85 Javed & Ors. v. State of Haryana, Supreme Court AIR 2003 SC 3057 ..........................85 Maternal Health and HIV/AIDS ...............................................................................98 Shanno Shagufta Khan v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors., High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore PILWP 2341/2007, Supreme Court SLP (C) 11844/2012 ..............98 Maternal Mortality and the Right to Health ............................................................103 Centre for Health and Resource Management (CHARM) v. State of Bihar & Ors., High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore W.P. (C) 7650/2011 ......................103 Centre for Youth and Social Action (CYSA) v. Nagaland, Gauhati High Court at Kohima W.P. (C) 62K/2008 ..................................................................................105 Court Suo Moto v. Union of India, Delhi High Court W.P. (C) 5913/2010 ...............110 Deepika D’Souza v. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai & Ors., High Court of Bombay PIL 127/2009 ...............................................................................120 Dunabai v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors., High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore W.P. 5097/2011 ......................................................................................................122 Laxmi Mandal v. Deen Dayal Harinagar Hospital & Ors., Delhi High Court W.P. 8853/2008, joined with Jaitun v. Maternity Home, MCD, Jangpura, & Ors., Delhi High Court W.P. 10700/2009 ......................................................................124 iv Laxmi Singh w/o Manas Ranjan v. State of Odisha & Ors., High Court of Orissa W.P. (C) 7687/2010 .....................................................................................................160 Mahila Atyachar Virodhi Manch v. State of Rajasthan, High Court of Rajasthan at Jodhpur W.P. (C) 3867/2011 ..........................................................................162 People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India, Supreme Court W.P. (C) 196/2001 ....................................................................................................................163 Premlata w/o Ram Sagar & Ors. v. Government of NCT of Delhi, High Court of Delhi W.P. (C) 7687/2010 ................................................................................................166 Promotion and Advancement of Justice, Harmony, and Rights of Adivasis (PAJHRA) v. State of Assam, Gauhati High Court W.P. 21/2012 .....................................................171 Sandesh Bansal v. Union of India, High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore W.P. 9061/2008.........................................................................................................................173 Shri Rinsing Chewang Kazi v. State of Sikkim & Ors., High Court of Sikkim PIL No. 39/2012 .....................................................................................................................191 Snehalata “Salenta” Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh, High Court of Allahabad W.P. 14588/2009 ......................................................................................................................193 Maternity Leave and Employment Discrimination .................................................195 Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. Female Workers (Muster Roll), Supreme Court AIR 2000 SC 1274 ...................................................................................................................195 S. Amudha v. Chairman, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Madras High Court (1991) IILLJ 234 Mad .........................................................................................................................201 Sex Ratio ....................................................................................................................209 Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) v. Union of India, Supreme Court AIR 2003 SC 3309 ......................................................................................209 Voluntary Health Association of Punjab (VHAP) v. Union of India & Ors., Supreme Court W.P. (C) 349/2006 .......................................................................................219 Sterilization ................................................................................................................221 Ramakant Rai v. Union of India, Supreme Court W.P. (C) 209/2003 ..........................221 Devika Biswas v. Union of India & Ors., Supreme Court W.P. (C) 95/2012 .............225 v vi Introduction Today in India, one woman will die from a pregnancy related cause every 10 minutes.1 Public health offi cials in India routinely deny women active control over their reproductive choices. In the fi rst half of 2012, scandals involving mass hysterectomies and unethical and illegal sterilization camps made headlines. HIV/AIDS positive, Dalit, and Below the Poverty Line (BPL) women have been evicted from hospitals while in labor. Child marriage continues to limit opportunities for millions of Indian women and four state governments have completely banned sexual health education for adolescents. Despite increased awareness, government schemes, and international pressure, women in India continue to face immense obstacles in accessing or exercising their reproductive rights. Since HRLN published the fi rst edition of Claiming Dignity in 2009, lawyers throughout India have fi led petitions on myriad reproductive