Supreme Court refers petition on Section 377 to five-member bench

NEW DELHI: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will decide the legality of a Victoria era law that criminalises homosexuality.

The Delhi High Court had earlier read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to exclude adult consensual behaviour of any kind. But the Supreme Court had reversed the high court's ruling.

Since then the court has dismissed a review plea. But the court on February 2 agreed to decide whether a private issue such as sexuality could be decriminalised as it is part of the larger right to free speech and expression.