Nobody would like to be told what to eat or how to dress, the Supreme Court today said while ruling that these activities come under the realm of right to privacy.
Justice J. Chelameswar, who wrote a separate but concurring judgement with eight other judges, said, “I do not think that anybody would like to be told by the State as to what they should eat or how they should dress or whom they should be associated with either in their personal, social or political life.”
In his 44-page verdict, Justice Chelameswar also said, “A woman’s freedom of choice whether to bear a child or abort her pregnancy are areas which fall in the realm of privacy.”
Similarly, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who wrote a separate judgement on his behalf and three other judges, said the content of the right to privacy has found elaboration in diverse contexts.
“These would include telephone tapping, inspection and search of confidential documents involving the banker-customer relationship, disclosure of HIV status, food preferences and animal slaughter, medical termination of pregnancy, scientific tests in criminal investigation, disclosure of bank accounts held overseas and the right of transgenders,” he said.
