Overview
- The Supreme Court’s nine-judge Constitution Bench, which began final hearings Tuesday, is examining how far courts can review religious practices tied to women’s access at places of worship.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Sabarimala’s age-based restriction stems from religious faith and denominational autonomy and falls outside judicial scrutiny.
- Mehta said the 2018 ruling that allowed women of all ages into Sabarimala was wrongly decided and urged the Court to reject the “essential religious practices” test and leave social reform to legislatures.
- The Bench said it will not revisit the merits of Sabarimala and will confine itself to seven questions, including the scope of Articles 25 and 26, the meaning of “morality,” the reach of judicial review, and who may file such challenges.
- The hearings are slated to run through April 22 with 66 related cases across Hindu, Muslim, and Parsi contexts, and Kerala’s government has adopted a neutral stance during the state’s election period.