Supreme Court to Hear Marital Rape Immunity Pleas

The Supreme Court has agreed to prioritize hearings on whether a husband should be immune from prosecution for rape if he forces his adult wife to have sex. These pleas challenge the constitutionality of the marital rape exception under Indian law. The hearings are slated for July 18.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday prioritized the hearing of pleas debating if husbands should be immune from prosecution for raping their adult wives.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took note of senior advocate Indira Jaising's request for expedited hearings. The court hinted at a July 18 date for these significant discussions.

The existing legal framework, initially under the Indian Penal Code and now the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, has clauses that don't consider it rape if a husband forces his adult wife into sex. However, multiple petitions argue this is discriminatory and violates various constitutional provisions.