SC says it is not an institution to deliver sermon on morality

The Supreme Court has said it is not an institution to “sermonise” society on morality and ethics and is bound by the brooding presence of the rule of law, as it allowed premature release of a woman who has served 20 years in jail after being convicted of poisoning her two sons to death.
The apex court made the observation while dealing with the appeal filed by the woman against the August 2019 judgement of the Madras High Court which had upheld her conviction for murdering her two sons.
The top court noted the woman had a love affair with a man, who used to threaten her often, and this led her to take the decision to end her life by suicide along with her children.
A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and A Amanullah observed in its verdict that the woman bought pesticides and administered them to the two children who died. When she tried to consume the poison herself, her niece knocked it away.
“This court is not an institution to sermonise society on morality and ethics and we say no further on this score, bound as we are, by the brooding presence of the rule of law,” the bench said in its judgement delivered on Thursday.