Don't send views on 3 forms of Islamic marriage: Law panel to public

The Law Commission today shrunk its ambit of consideration of the contentious Uniform Civil Code by asking the public not to send their views on three ways of marriages practiced in the Islam, saying the issue is now pending before the Supreme Court.

A few days ago, while issuing a fresh appeal to the general public to send views on UCC, it had said the stakeholders should not send their responses on instant triple talaq as a bill seeking to criminalise it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.

In a statement issued today, the law panel said people should also avoid sending comments on nikah halala, nikah mu'tah and nikah misyar as petitions relating to the practices have been admitted in the apex court.

Earlier, the commission had said it has received an overwhelming response by the people on the UCC and it was appropriate to elicit detailed submissions on the issue from the stakeholders again.

The submissions can be in the form of working papers or consultation and can touch any issue related to the UCC, except (instant) triple talaq, it had said.

Suggestions from government and non-government bodies and other stakeholders can be submitted till April 6.

A uniform civil code will mean a set of common personal laws for all citizens. Personal law, among other issues, covers marriage and divorce.

The BJP is yet to respond to a law commission questionnaire on the contentious uniform civil code floated in October 2016, while most of the opposition parties which replied have dubbed the move -- to refer the matter to the law panel -- a part of the ruling party's "political agenda".

Sources in the panel said the questionnaire has so far received over 45,000 responses which continue to pour in even after the expiry of the deadline.

While the deadline to send responses ended on December 21, 2016, the law panel said it would continue to entertain responses received after that as well.

"The uniform civil code is one of the important projects before the Law Commission. The responses/replies received by the commission are being processed. The response/replies received, if any, after the date may also be considered," it had said in a brief statement earlier.

Law panel chairman Justice B S Chauhan (retd) had recently said the commission will recommend religion-wise piecemeal amendments to family laws if it finds it difficult to come out with a composite UCC.

He also said the civil code cannot be violative of any provision of the Constitution.