SC seeks Centre's reply on uniform talaq guideline

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the government and other parties over a petition requesting consistent, mandatory guidelines for all forms of talaq within Muslim personal law. Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi are leading the matter, which ties into a previous case involving the invalidation of instant triple talaq.

The current petition seeks to prohibit Talaq-e-Hasan and other forms of unilateral, extra-judicial talaq, demanding financial and social support for affected women and children. It also asks the central government to draft and enforce uniform procedures for marriage dissolution, ensuring fairness, reconciliation, transparency, and protection of fundamental rights.

The petition calls for the invalidation of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, directing the government to create gender-neutral and religion-neutral divorce procedures aligned with Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution.