Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 02(ANI): Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily has said on Sunday that the law should not become an instrument of exploitation by authorities, and the government will take action to apprehend the misuse of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against homosexuals in the future.

“If it has been misused earlier, it can be misused in future as well. Any law should not be used as an instrument of exploitation, harassment or allow the authority to misuse it,” Moily said.

While admitting that the anti-gay law had been misused in the past, Moily complimented the Delhi High Court for a well-research, well-documented, well-argued judgement of decriminalising homosexuality.

Pointing out that several laws enacted during British Raj contradicted the Constitution and may not stand scrutiny, Moily said that such laws include some sections of the IPC and the Evidence Act.

“Many of these laws, if put to acid test of the Constitution, they may not stand up to the scrutiny,” Moily said.

Moily said either the Constitution makers did not anticipate this situation or a review of the laws or the Constitution should have taken place for properly synchronising the two.

Explaining the reasons for not asking for a stay of the Delhi HC judgement before the Supreme Court, he said it would have been preposterous, as it was an important question of law relation to Constitutional rights of liberty and privacy. (ANI)