Supreme Court on Sabarimala: Need to ensure social reform conforms to ‘lakshman rekha’, doesn’t hollow out religion | Legal News
Underlining the need to ensure that social reform measures conform to the “lakshman rekha” set by the legislature and do not hollow out a religion, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said courts may be compelled to interfere if any such reform is thrust upon people against their wish. “If the people of this country, through their elected representatives, raise a common voice that this issue requires social reform, probably the court will accept it as a social reform. But if it is against the wish and will of the people — something is thrust upon them or, as a rule of gagging them, maybe the court will interfere,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, presiding over a nine-judge bench, said. The bench also comprising Justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi, is considering questions arising from petitions seeking review of the SC’s September 28, 2018, judgment striking down age restrictions on entry of women to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. …
