In a significant affirmation of personal freedom, the Allahabad High Court has directed police protection for twelve women in live-in relationships, reinforcing the constitutional right to personal liberty at a time when such freedoms face growing scrutiny. The court's order, passed on December 20, 2025, serves as a powerful counter to societal pressures that often seek to regulate adult relationships.
Court Rejects State's Claim, Prioritizes Individual Autonomy
The bench explicitly rejected the state government's argument that cohabitation outside marriage damages the social fabric. The court held that while the concept of a live-in relationship may not be universally accepted, it is not illegal. It emphasized that living together without the sanctity of marriage does not constitute an offence. This legal stance is crucial as it places the fundamental rights of individuals above majoritarian morality and social disapproval.
The judgment is particularly notable for its insistence that constitutional interpretation must evolve with changing social realities, rather than remain tethered to inherited anxieties. By doing so, the court has asserted that adults must be recognized as rights-bearing citizens, capable of making their own life choices, and not as wards to be steered towards only socially-approved paths.
A Fraught Backdrop: Challenges for Inter-Faith and Inter-Caste Couples
This ruling arrives against a complex legal and social landscape. The editorial highlights how different interpretations of Uttar Pradesh's Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, have led to uneven and often regressive outcomes in cases involving inter-faith live-in relationships. In several instances, pleas for protection were dismissed or granted conditionally, prioritizing marital sanctity over individual rights and forcing appeals to the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, the recent introduction of laws like the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, which mandates registration of live-in relationships and imposes penalties, signals a trend towards greater state intrusion into personal lives. Across India, deep-seated caste, class, and religious orthodoxies continue to police intimacy. Inter-faith and inter-caste couples routinely face hostility, coercion, and violence from families and communities, frequently without receiving help from the very institutions designed to safeguard their freedoms.
A Necessary Corrective in Line with Supreme Court Precedents
The Allahabad High Court's intervention is seen as a modest but essential corrective measure. It aligns with a consistent line of landmark judgments from the Supreme Court of India that have defended personal liberty against moral vigilantism. From the Lata Singh case in 2006 to S Khushboo in 2010 and the pivotal Shafin Jahan judgment in 2018, the apex court has repeatedly affirmed the right of consenting adults to choose their life partners without interference from society or the state.
Read in this light, the Allahabad HC's order is more than just a directive for police protection; it is a reaffirmation of a core constitutional principle. It underscores that the law's role is to protect individual autonomy, not enforce social conformity. In a diverse and often divided society, this judicial stance is a vital safeguard for personal freedom and the right to love and live as one chooses.
