Mewat: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided to look into the implementation of its 2016 directives on termination of pregnancy in rape cases. This comes just days after a delay caused by doctors in Mewat led to a medical board refusing to allow a rape victim’s termination of her 24-week pregnancy.
The lawyers in the case have been asked to prepare a chart to apprise the court about non-compliance of earlier directives to allow the High Court to pass a fresh, suitable order on the matter. The order by Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain has been passed following a submission before the bench stating that the governments has failed to follow the 2016 judgment.
In 2016, Justice Paramjeet Singh Dhaliwal, who has since retired, while delivering the judgment in the case of a minor seeking permission to terminate her pregnancy, issued a slew of directions for speedy disposal of such requests.
The judgment had been sent to both advocate generals of Punjab, Haryana and the Senior Standing Counsel for Union Territory to ensure that the case “can be determined on the first day itself by sending the woman immediately to a medical board for quick action, if possible under the provisions of law.”
Justice Jain, during resumed hearing of the case now restricted to implementation of the order, on January 15 was informed by the lawyers that the authorities have not conducted any awareness programmes for the doctors, investigating agencies, Lawyers and judicial officers. Furthermore, refresher courses for lower court judges have also not been introduced.
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