Kerala High Court Authorizes Late-Term Abortion in Landmark Medical Necessity Ruling

In a precedent-setting judicial decision, the Kerala High Court has granted authorization for the termination of a pregnancy exceeding 31 weeks gestation, citing severe fetal abnormalities as grounds for medical necessity. This ruling represents a significant departure from conventional gestational limits under Indian law, which typically restrict such procedures to earlier stages absent immediate threat to the mother's life. The court's analysis centered on a rigorous assessment of the diagnosed congenital conditions, determining that the anomalies constituted profound suffering incompatible with viable postnatal life. Legal experts indicate this judgment carefully balances reproductive rights with established medical ethics, potentially establishing a new framework for evaluating late-term termination petitions based on fetal prognosis rather than strict temporal thresholds. The decision underscores the judiciary's evolving role in interpreting medical termination statutes within complex bioethical contexts, while maintaining formal adherence to procedural safeguards. This development is anticipated to influence both clinical protocols and future litigation concerning reproductive autonomy and prenatal diagnosis across India's judicial landscape.