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Good Faith and Compassion in Termination Beyond 24 Weeks: A Liberal Reading of BNS Section 88

Vivekanshu Verma, Shri Gopal Kabra

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Indian Journal of Legal Medicine 05(01):p 59-64, JAN-JUNE 2026. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijlm.2348.9987.5126.7

How Cite This Article:

Shri Gopal Kabra, Vivekanshu Verma. Good Faith and Compassion in Termination Beyond 24 Weeks: A Liberal Reading of BNS Section 88. Indi J of Legal Medi. 2026; 5(1): 59–64.

Timeline

Received : November 24, 2025         Accepted : December 25, 2025          Published : June 30, 2026

Abstract

Termination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeks remains a contested medico-legal frontier in India, where statutory ceilings under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act often collide with urgent ethical and clinical realities.2 The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 88,3 which protects acts done in good faith for the benefit of life of the mother, offers a critical interpretive safeguard for practitioners confronted with cases of severe fetal anomalies, maternal health risks, or profound psychological trauma. This paper argues for a liberal reading of Section 88, situating good faith and compassionate intent as central to the medicolegal justification for termination beyond statutory limits. By reframing Section 88 as a shield against criminal liability, the analysis harmonizes medical ethics with constitutional guarantees of dignity, autonomy, and reproductive justice. The discussion highlights judicial precedents, ethical imperatives, and policy implications, underscoring the need for courts to adopt purposive interpretations that protect both patients and practitioners. Ultimately, the paper advances a framework where law, medicine, and compassion converge to ensure that no woman or child suffers needless harm due to rigid statutory boundaries.

References

  • 1.   ABC v. State of Maharashtra, 2025 SCC OnLine Bom 2556. Bom HC allows abortion at 25-weeks| SCC Times.
  • 2.   Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.
  • 3.   Kabra, SG. Verma, Vivekanshu. Medical Negligence & Judicial Overreach. Redflower publications. 2025. https://www.amazon.in/Medical-Negligence-Judicial-OverreachGopal/dp/8195810284.
  • 4.   Parikh’s Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence Forensic Medicine and Toxicology for Classrooms and Courtrooms 9Ed. CBS. 2023.
  • 5.   Kannan, K. Modi’s Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology. 28th Ed. LexisNexis. 2025.
  • 6.   Verma, V. Medicolegally Interpreting New Criminal Laws: A Textbook for Classrooms & Courtrooms. Vinod publications. 2026.
  • 7.   Kannan, K. Medicine & Law, 2nd Ed. Thomson Reuters. 2025.
  • 8.   X v. Union of India (2022) https:// indiankanoon.org/doc/123985596/
  • 9.   Article 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950.
  • 10.   Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, AIR 1978 SC 597.
  • 11.   Suchita Srivastava v. Chandigarh Administration. Civil App. No. 58845 of 2009.
  • 12.   Murugan Nayakkar v. Union of India (2017) SCC Online SC 1092.
  • 13.   Modak, Anupam. New Criminal Major Acts. 4th Ed. Whitesmann. 2026.

Data Sharing Statement

There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.

Funding

This research received no funding.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.

Ethics Declaration

This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.

Conflicts of Interest

"The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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Cite this article

Shri Gopal Kabra, Vivekanshu Verma. Good Faith and Compassion in Termination Beyond 24 Weeks: A Liberal Reading of BNS Section 88. Indi J of Legal Medi. 2026; 5(1): 59–64.

Licence:

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

Received Accepted Published
November 24, 2025 December 25, 2025 June 30, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijlm.2348.9987.5126.7

Keywords

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 88Good Faith in medical practiceCompassionate grounds for terminationTermination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeksMedical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act)Liberal statutory interpretationConstitutional right to dignity and privacyJudicial precedents on abortion in IndiaReproductive Autonomy and Justice

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Timeline

Received November 24, 2025
Accepted December 25, 2025
Published June 30, 2026

licence

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.


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