* Written submissions to be filed by Friday by all counsel.

* SC reserves verdict on petitions seeking to legalize gay sex and decriminalise Section 377 . SC asks all counsel who argued for and against 377 to submit written submissions.

* SC says even if it legalizes gay sex and decriminalizes Section 377 of IPC, non-consensual gay sex and bestiality would continue as offences under Section 377.

* Justice R F Nariman said if prostitution is licensed then all health parameters and concerns will be met. Only when it is made illegal, that it happens in sly and all kind of health concerns arise.

* Justice Chandrachud cited the South African experience and said it is always better to recognize sexual orientation so as to allow people access to healthcare with dignity.

* Justice R F Nariman said if prostitution is licensed then all health parameters and concerns will be met. Only when it is made illegal, that it happens in sly and all kind of health concerns arise.

* Justice Chandrachud cited the South African experience and said it is always better to recognize sexual orientation so as to allow people access to healthcare with dignity.

* SC says if you suppress sexuality and it will lead to suppression and no treatment of a lot of diseases like HIV, AIDS and STDs.

* George said a lot of legislations providing for matrimonial or civil rights for men and women will get seriously affected and hence require wholesome changes in many legislations, which only Parliament can do and not the SC.

* Two Christian organisations through advocate Manoj George put up a spirited fight against legalization of gay sex or decriminalization of Section 377 in the Supreme Court.

* The hearing in Section 377 case resumes in Supreme Court. This is the Day-4 of the Supreme Court's hearing.

* LGBTQ community members feel “decriminalization” will be a big step forward to rid the community of fear, harassment and blackmail under Section 377.

* Now with the Centre taking a neutral stand of ‘leaving it to the wisdom of court’ on constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and the arguments in Supreme Court dwelling on “constitutional rights” the community is already feeling a sense of victory.

* It had been a long fought battle seeking decriminalization of consensual gay sex for activits and LGBTQ community members.

* Today’s hearing holds out hope to the LGBT community as the bench includes Justice Chandrachud, who as part of a 9-judge bench that held the fundamental nature of right to privacy had on January 8 said sexual orientation is part of this right. He accepted that the SC in December 2013 had erred in denying this right while adding that the issue will be decided by a five-judge bench in pending petitions.

* All eyes will be on the SC as it hears the case with political parties shying from taking any public position in favour of altering — as opposed to heated debates on issues like triple talaq — in view of entrenched social norms and widely held conservative views that disapprove of same sex relations.

* Chief Justice Dipak Misra will head the bench, which will include Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, to hear the writ petition filed two years ago by dancer N S Johar, journalist Sunil Mehra, chef Ritu Dalmia, hotelier Aman Nath and business executive Ayesha Kapur.

* One Suresh Kumar Koushal challenged the HC verdict in the SC, which on December 11, 2013 upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377 and set aside the HC concession to the LGBTQ community. The SC had on January 28, 2014 dismissed petitions seeking review of its decision. Naz Foundation’s curative petitions has been admitted and referred to a 5-judge SC bench.

* Naz Foundation was the first to file a petition in December, 2001 in the Delhi high court , which had on July 2, 2009 decriminalized Section 377 by ruling that no adult would be prosecuted for indulging in consensual sex in private with another adult irrespective of gender.

* In the last two years, many others, including Ashok Row Kavi and noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal, have joined the already pending petition of Naz Foundation to challenge provisions of the Indian Penal Code which was framed in 1860.

