Supreme Court ruling on Right to Passport and Personal Liberty on December 19, 2025

Key facts

• The Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the right to travel abroad and the right to hold a passport are facets of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
• The judgment was delivered on December 19, 2025, by a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Augustine George Masih.
• The court held that any restriction on the right to travel must be fair, just, and reasonable, and must bear a rational nexus with a legitimate purpose.
• The ruling clarified the application of Section 62f of the Passports Act and the notification GSR 570E regarding the renewal of passports for individuals with pending criminal cases.
• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was the agency involved in a 2018 case in Jharkhand mentioned during the proceedings.
• The court emphasized that a passport is a civil document and distinguished between the possession of a valid passport and the actual act of travelling abroad.