SC Set to Hear Sabarimala Review from April 7 on Women’s Entry
SC Set to Hear Sabarimala Review from April 7 on Women’s Entry
The Supreme Court will begin final hearings on the Sabarimala review, reviving a long-running debate over temple entry for women and religion-rights under the Constitution.
The Supreme Court has set the stage for the final hearing of the Sabarimala review, reviving a six-year-old constitutional debate on religious freedom. Proceedings will begin on April 7, with arguments expected to conclude by April 22. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, issued procedural directions for the hearing and clarified that the nine-judge bench's constitution and composition will be announced by the CJI on the administrative side.
The review petitions challenge the 2018 verdict that allowed entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple. The Union government has said it will support the review petitions, signaling opposition to women’s entry. The court had, in February 2020, referred questions to a larger bench; it held that it was competent to refer questions of law to a larger bench even while considering review petitions. With that issue settled, substantive adjudication can proceed.
The case has acquired political significance in Kerala, with the ruling and opposition parties debating the issue ahead of elections. The hearing could recalibrate how the court balances religion-rights with gender equality, a central theme in the Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.
The bench noted that objections to the refer questions having to go to a larger bench were decided in February 2020, paving the way for the current review to proceed. The pandemic had interrupted the original nine-judge proceedings, and the court will hear submissions anew, with the Centre's stance forming a key element of the arguments.
