Delhi HC Backs Uniform Civil Code, Asks Centre to Take Necessary Steps for its Implementation

The Delhi high court on Friday backed the need for a Uniform Civil Code in the country, observing that “there is the need for a Code that is ‘common to all’ in the country”, and asked the central government to take the necessary steps in this matter. Responding to a plea involving the applicability of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, in respect of parties belonging to the Meena community, Justice Prathiba M Singh said that the modern Indian society is gradually turning “homogeneous” and dissipating “traditional barriers of religion, community, and caste, and in view of these changing paradigms, a uniform civil code is in order.” A Uniform Civil Code essentially provides for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc. Currently, different laws regulate these aspects for adherents of different religions, for example, Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Indian Christian Marriages Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act. A Uniform Civil Code refers to one law for the whole country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc. In India, different laws currently regulate these aspects for adherents of different religions, for example, Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Indian Christian Marriages Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act.