The Supreme Court of India will reopen a case challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a law that the court has interpreted as criminalizing homosexuality. A panel from the Court last heard the case in 2013, overturning a lower court decision and upholding the law.
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel heard a “curative petition”– a legal challenge aimed at addressing a court order that may been a “miscarriage of justice.” The judges ruled that the case ought to be reconsidered, labeling it a “matter of constitutional importance.”
The case will be heard by five justices, including the Chief Justice of India. A date for the next hearing has not yet been set. According to a BBC correspondent, “cheers and impromptu celebrations” broke out outside the court after the decision was announced.