Home » National » Supreme Court To Consider Plea On Whether Muslim Girls Can Marry A Person Of Their Choice After Puberty

Supreme Court to consider plea on whether Muslim girls can marry a person of their choice after puberty

The top court said the judgment, which held that Muslim girls aged 15 could enter into a marriage, should not be relied on as a precedent.

ByPTI

Published Jan 13, 2023 | 4:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 13, 2023 | 4:02 PM

Supreme Court to consider plea on whether Muslim girls can marry a person of their choice after attaining puberty. Representational Image. (danishkhan)

The Supreme Court on Friday, 13 January, agreed to examine a plea by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order that a Muslim girl can marry a person of her choice after attaining puberty.

The top court held that the high court judgment, which held that a Muslim girl aged 15 years could enter into a legal and valid marriage as per personal law, should not be relied on as a precedent in any other case.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha issued notices to the Haryana government and others and appointed senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao as amicus curiae in the matter to assist the court.

“We are inclined to entertain these writ petitions. Issue notice. Pending further orders, impugned judgment (of HC) shall not be relied upon as precedent,” the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that Muslim girls who are 14, 15, and 16 years old are getting married.

“Can there be a defence of personal law? Can you plead custom or personal law as a defence against a criminal offence?” he asked.

The age of attaining puberty is 15 years, according to applicable personal laws in Islam.

The high court had passed the order while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by a 26-year-old man against the detention of his 16-year-old wife in a children’s home in Panchkula in Haryana.

It observed that 15 years was the age of puberty for a Muslim female, and she could on her own willingness and consent marry a person of her choice after attaining puberty.

Such a marriage would not be void in terms of Section 12 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, it said.

Also read: Kerala Muslim body says worshipping football stars against Islam

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)