SC turns down petition seeking to allow surrogacy

Kathmandu, January 5

The Supreme Court has turned down a petition seeking to legalise surrogacy services in the country.

A full bench of justices Deepak Raj Joshee, Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Deepak Kumar Karki issued the verdict today on a petition filed by Grande City Clinic and Hospital Pvt Ltd. The petition was filed on November 15, 2017.

Surrogacy was halted by the Supreme Court on August 25, 2015 and the practice was formally banned by a Cabinet decision on September 19, 2015. The SC’s final verdict was announced on December 12, 2016.

A division bench comprising then Chief Justice Sushila Karki and Justice Govinda Kumar Upadhyaya had issued verdicts on all writ petitions related to surrogacy, stating that it was not necessary to issue further order as the government itself had banned surrogacy services.

Grande City Clinic and Hospital Pvt Ltd had also filed a petition at the SC challenging the government decision. Writ petitions were filed in August, 2015 at the apex court demanding an end to surrogacy services.