The Supreme Court of India has paused cases in several high courts to bring together all legal challenges against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026.

印度最高法院已暫停數個高等法院的案件，旨在將所有針對《跨性別人士（權利保護）修正案 2026》的法律挑戰集中處理。

The court took this action after the Union government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, argued that having separate cases in the Rajasthan, Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala high courts could lead to different and conflicting legal decisions. Consequently, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana stopped these proceedings to ensure that the law is applied consistently across the country. This move comes as the Supreme Court is already reviewing similar petitions filed by activists and community leaders.

法院採取此行動是因為聯邦政府（由總律師 Tushar Mehta 代表）主張，如果在拉賈斯坦邦、德里、卡納塔卡邦和喀拉拉邦的高等法院分開審理，可能會導致不同且矛盾的法律裁決。因此，由首席法官 Surya Kant 和法官 V Mohana 領導的法庭暫停了這些程序，以確保法律在全國範圍內一致適用。此舉正值最高法院已在審查由社會活動家和社區領袖提交的類似請願書之際。

The main legal argument focuses on the loss of the right to 'self-identification,' which was established in a famous 2014 court ruling (NALSA v. Union of India). Petitioners emphasize that the 2026 Amendment replaces a broad definition of transgender identity with a much stricter system. This new law only recognizes specific social categories or medical conditions. As a result, critics argue that the law brings back 'medical gatekeeping' and violates constitutional rights to dignity and personal freedom.

主要的法律爭論焦點在於失去「自我認同」的權利，該權利是在 2014 年一項著名的法院裁決（NALSA 訴印度聯邦政府）中確立的。請願人強調，2026 年的修正案將原本寬泛的跨性別身份定義，替換為一個嚴格得多的系統。這項新法僅認可特定的社會類別或醫療狀況。因此，批評者認為該法恢復了「醫療把關」，並違反了憲法賦予的尊嚴與個人自由權利。

Furthermore, the court is examining new and strict punishments introduced in the Act. While the law still protects people from abuse, it now allows for penalties up to life imprisonment for forcing someone into a transgender presentation. Petitioners assert that these rules unfairly criminalize transgender identities. However, the Union government maintains that the law is meant to stop forced procedures rather than block voluntary medical treatments. The court noted that it must balance the right to self-identification with the need to prevent people from wrongly claiming government benefits.

此外，法院正在審查該法案引入的新且嚴厲的懲罰。雖然法律仍保護人士免受虐待，但現在若強迫他人採取跨性別呈現方式，最高可處以終身監禁。請願人主張，這些規定不公平地將跨性別身份刑事化。然而，聯邦政府堅持認為，法律旨在阻止強迫手術，而非阻礙自願的醫療處理。法院指出，必須在自我認同權與防止他人錯誤申領政府福利的需求之間取得平衡。

The Supreme Court has stopped the high court cases and scheduled new hearings for July to decide if the 2026 Amendment is constitutional.

最高法院已暫停高等法院的案件，並安排在 7 月進行新聆訊，以決定 2026 年修正案是否符合憲法。