Kerala High Court has ruled that parents cannot challenge an adult woman’s decision to join a religious congregation simply because they disagree with it.
The judgment was delivered on April 27 by a Division Bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian in Ernakulam. The court dismissed a petition filed by three parents who claimed their daughters were being illegally detained at the Monastery of Holy Ruah.
The court made it clear that decisions about faith and religious life belong to an individual’s private choice. It said that interfering in such matters could weaken important constitutional freedoms like personal liberty and freedom of belief.
The parents had argued that their daughters were under pressure and not staying in the convent by their own will. However, the court found no evidence of force or illegal detention. Police reports and statements from the women confirmed that they had chosen to remain in the religious order voluntarily.
The judges also explained that a writ of habeas corpus is a serious legal remedy and should only be used when there is clear proof of unlawful detention. In this case, such proof was not found.
The court added that parental concern or disagreement cannot override the rights of adults to make their own life decisions, including choosing a religious vocation and a life of celibacy.
With this ruling, the court reaffirmed that personal freedom and individual choice must be respected, especially in matters of faith and belief.
