COURT SPEAK

With this judgment, India joins 26 other countries, including US, France, Germany, Norway, Australia, which do not criminalise same- sex sexual relations

History owes an apology to the members of this community and their families, for the delay in providing redressal for the ignominy and ostracism that they have suffered through the centuries. The members of this community were compelled to live a life full of fear of reprisal and persecution — Justice Indu Malhotra

Social morality cannot be used to violate the fundamental rights of even a single individual... Constitutional morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality. To deny members of LGBT community the full expression of right to sexual orientation is to deny them right under Constitution, is denial to right to privacy — CJI Dipak Misra

Eighty- seven years after the IPC was made, India gained her liberation from a colonial past. But Macaulay’s legacy — the offence under Section 377 — has continued for 68 years after we gave ourselves a liberal Constitution — Justice D. Y. Chandrachud Gay rights activists celebrate in Mumbai on Thursday after the Supreme Court struck down Section 377 that made homosexual acts which carry a masimum punishment of life term.

The SC has made it clear that the personal sexual preferences of adults is indeed as nature made them — Shashi Tharoor, Cong leader

Under Section 377, life term can still be awarded in cases of non- consensual sexual acts against adults, carnal intercourse against minors and sex with an animal