ERNAKULAM (RVA News): The Kerala High Court in India has ruled that parental dissatisfaction with an adult daughter’s decision to join a religious congregation does not justify the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus, Catholic Connect reported on April 27.
A division bench of justices, A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian, dismissed a petition brought by three parents who alleged their daughters were being unlawfully detained by nuns at the Monastery of Holy Ruah [MHR].
The court held that an individual’s choice of faith and religious association falls firmly within the private domain and is safeguarded by constitutional freedoms. It cautioned that interference in such matters could have a chilling effect on personal liberty.
The bench observed that parental displeasure over an adult daughter choosing a life of celibacy in response to a spiritual calling cannot constitute grounds for legal intervention, t reported.
The petitioners claimed their daughters were acting under coercion and were not staying with the congregation of their own free will. However, the court found no evidence to support allegations of unlawful detention or undue influence.
Reiterating established legal principles, the bench stated that habeas corpus is an extraordinary remedy to be invoked only when there is clear evidence of unlawful detention. In cases involving adults, courts must exercise caution and respect individual autonomy, particularly in matters concerning fundamental rights.
Police enquiries cited by the court confirmed that the women had voluntarily chosen to remain with the religious congregation. Their recorded statements affirmed that their decision was made freely and without coercion.
While acknowledging the parents’ concerns, the court emphasised that disagreements with a religious congregation cannot override the right of adults to make independent life choices.
Concluding that there had been no violation of liberty, the bench dismissed the petition, reaffirming the primacy of individual freedom in matters of belief and personal decision-making, Catholic Connect added.
