Supreme Court Should Reconsider Verdict on Section 377: Jaitley

As jurisprudence world over is evolving, I think the judgement was not correct, says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

Union Minister Arun Jaitley said, on Saturday, that Section 377, that criminalises gay sex, should be reviewed. (Photo: PTI)

Speaking about section 377, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said that the 2014 judgement by the Supreme Court, that set aside the Delhi High Court verdict which decriminalised it, needed to be reconsidered in the present context.

When you have millions of people involved in gay sex, you can’t nudge them off. The court has taken a conservative view.

<b>Arun Jaitley at the Times LitFest, New Delhi</b>

He referred to the evolution of jurisprudence and said that the view taken by the court on the issue would have been relevant about 50 years ago but “as jurisprudence world over is evolving, I think the judgement was not correct and probably at some stage they may have to reconsider”.

Jaitley said future generations will have to see that the verdict criminalising consensual gay sex “are reconsidered”.

Transgender activists welcomed Jaitley’s statement.