Following are the highlights of the Supreme Court's verdict on Shariat courts:
*No fatwa can be issued by Dar-ul-Qazas touching upon the rights, status and obligation, of a person unless such an individual has asked for it.
*The decision or the fatwa issued by Dar-ul-Qazas is not binding on anyone.
*Fatwa does not have a force of law and, therefore, cannot be enforced.
*Whatever may be the status of fatwa during Mughal or British rule, it has no place in independent India.
*Existence of Dar-ul-Qaza or for that matter practice of issuing fatwas are themselves not illegal.
*Dar-ul-Qaza is informal justice delivery system with an objective of bringing about amicable settlement between the parties.
*A Qazi or Mufti has no authority or powers to impose his opinion and enforce his fatwa on anyone by any coercive method.
