The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Centre on a petition filed by Assam’s first transgender judge Swati Bidhan Baruah, challenging Transgender (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, on the ground that it violates the right(s) to life, privacy and equality of
transpersons.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde and comprising justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant sought reply from the Centre on a PIL filed by Baruah.
Swati, in her written submission, had claimed that the provisions of the Act are built around the unconstitutional concept of state-identification of transpersons. “The Act treats transpersons with suspicion and several provisions of the Act reinforce the very prejudice that the legislation was supposed to eliminate”, reads the petition.
She had also claimed that the Act is wholly and irreparably in violation of the right to life with dignity of transpersons.