Editorial Note

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own set of unique challenges. One of these challenges has been a permanent alteration in the way the law is understood and applied across the world. It has forced lawyers, academics, policymakers and students alike to rethink what once seemed the norm, and has prompted us to open ourselves up to fresher and newer perspectives. At the NUJS Law Review, we have always taken pride in the fact that we are able to facilitate academic discourse of contemporary relevance in India. Especially in the current circumstances, it has become increasingly important for stakeholders and policymakers to engage in effective dialogue. With this aim, we present to you Issue 4 of Volume 13 of the NUJS Law Review.

In Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India the Court read down §377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which criminalises “carnal inter­course against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”, or commonly, unnatural intercourse. It is perhaps one of the most socially and constitutionally historic verdicts of our times. However, while acknowledging the verdict’s significance, it is crucial to also acknowledge the several questions thrown up by commentators in the decision’s anticipation and the aftermath. As an attempt to answer some of these questions, supplement the growing body of literature on this matter and carry forward the legacy of previous Editorial Boards, we have put together the present Special Issue on the Navtej Singh Johar verdict. This consolidated Special Issue of the NUJS Law Review is a humble addition to this growing body of literature, a celebration and criticism of the judgment through its various articles, and a tribute to those who have silently but arduously undertaken the grassroots movement which brought about the decision in Navtej. Through this Issue, the NUJS Law Review and the authors hope to respond to the Courts in a manner not possible within the Courtroom. This Issue acts as a companion to the previously published Navtej Singh Johar Special Issue in Vol. 12(3-4), 2019.