Supreme Court Sends Buddhist Personal Law Plea to Law Commission

Overview

• The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the public interest petition filed by the Buddhist Personal Law Action Committee.
• The petitioner seeks separate personal laws for Buddhists, arguing that certain provisions now applied to them infringe fundamental rights and cultural practices.
• The Court disposed of the case by treating the plea as a representation, directing the registry to forward the complete paper-book to the Law Commission.
• The order requests that the Law Commission, if it deems appropriate, invite the petitioner’s representative to present their viewpoint.
• The bench noted that Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are presently governed by Hindu personal law statutes and that any change cannot be mandated by the Court but would flow, if at all, from Law Commission recommendations and parliamentary action.