Law Panel’s Uniform Civil Code report put on hold

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited report of the Law Commission on whether India can have a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), will be further delayed till the Supreme Court delivers its judgment on petitions challenging practices such as polygamy and Nikaah Halala.

The law panel issued a fresh notice issued on Tuesday, asking all stakeholders to avoid commenting on these issues, which are with the apex court.Earlier, on March 19, the Commission had issued a public notice inviting comments from stakeholders on all issues pertaining to the Uniform Civil Code, except instant triple talaq which the SC had already banning it.

The fresh round of consultation was seen as an effort towards finalisation of its recommendation. The law panel had set a April 6 deadline for all responses.The issues of triple talaq, polygamy, Nikaah Halala, Nikaah Mutha and Nikaah Misyar are some of the important issues which the Commission was looking into while preparing its report on the Uniform Civil Code. Without these issues being addressed, the law panel’s recommendation will be incomplete.

The Law Commission had received around 40,000 responses on the Uniform Civil Code.  However, with the SC taking up fresh petition related to Muslim personal laws, the Commission will have to wait for the apex court’s verdict before any recommendation can be finalised.