On 23 September, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment wherein it set aside a Madras High Court judgment which had said merely downloading and watching child pornography is not an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.

The bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra in JUST RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN ALLIANCE vs S HARISH ruled that watching and downloading child pornography are offences under the POCSO Act and the IT Act. The apex court also suggested that the union government bring an amendment to the POCSO Act so that the definition of child pornography can be referred to within the ambit of child sexually exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM), clearly signalling a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to addressing this pervasive issue.

Link: https://www.thequint.com/opinion/supreme-court-further-toughens-law-pocso-against-child-pornography-in-india