New Delhi: With the All India Muslim Personal Law Board strongly opposing court intervention on marriage and divorce, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to produce the report of a high-powered committee on “women and law” set up during the UPA regime.
The report titled ‘Women and the law: An assessment of family laws with focus on laws relating to marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and succession” was submitted last year to the ministry of women and child development.
A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Uday Lalit was hearing a batch of applications, a suo motu petition and a writ petition challenging triple talak and polygamy being practised by Muslims.
During the resumed hearing, senior counsel Amit Singh Chadda and counsel Balaji Srinivasan, appearing for petitioner Shayara Banu brought to the notice of the court that the Centre had appointed a committee in this regard and the report was not released so far.
Report by UPA Panel sought
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to produce the report of committee on “women and law” set up during the UPA regime, on a plea by petitioner Shayara Banu.
Quoting media reports, counsel for the petition said the report has recommended a ban on various practices that are purportedly Islamic but require reform, including the practice of talaq-e-bidat and polygamy.
The Bench also sought the response of Muslim organisations, NCW and Centre on impleadment and intervention applications. The court asked ASG Tushar Mehta to respond to the petition by the Bench on October 16, 2015, and answer to the question if “gender discrimination” suffered by Muslim women should not be considered a violation of the Fundamental Rights.
