Sabarimala Temple Issue: Nine-judge Bench of Supreme Court to Hear Matter From Jan 13

Issuing a notice, the top court on Monday informed the listing of the petition filed by Indian Young Lawyers Association seeking review of its historic 2018 judgement allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple.

New Delhi: In another development, a nine-judge Constitution bench of Supreme Court will hear the issue of women’s entry to Kerala’s Sabarimala temple from January 13. Apart from this, the apex court will also hear other contentious issues of alleged discrimination against Muslim and Parsi women.

Issuing a notice, the top court on Monday informed the listing of the petition filed by Indian Young Lawyers Association seeking review of its historic 2018 judgement allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple.

“Take notice that the following matters will be listed for hearing before a Nine Judges Constitution Bench commencing from Monday the 13th January 2020”, the notice said.

The development comes as the five-judge constitution bench of the top court in a 3:2 majority verdict on November 14, last year had referred to a larger 7-judge bench, the pleas seeking review of its historic 2018 judgement allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Sabarimala temple.

While hearing the case, the top court had said that the debate about the constitutional validity of religious practices like the bar on entry of women and girls into a place of worship was not limited to the Sabarimala case.

The top court said such restrictions are there with regard to the entry of Muslim women into mosques and ‘dargah’ and Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, being barred from the holy fireplace of an Agyari. The apex court said it was time to evolve a judicial policy to do “substantial and complete justice”.

(With inputs from PTI)