Supreme Court to Resolve Legal Conflict on Child Marriage Laws

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to decide whether the secular law banning child marriage takes precedence over Muslim personal law. The plea aims to resolve conflicting judgments from various high courts on this issue.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to list for hearing a plea from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) seeking an authoritative ruling on whether secular law prohibiting child marriage prevails over Muslim personal law.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was urged by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to prioritize the plea. Mehta stressed the need for a clear verdict due to divergent views from various high courts on child marriage legality.

Highlighting the conflicting judgments, Mehta mentioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision that allowed Muslim girls to marry upon reaching puberty, contrary to secular laws. In contrast, the Kerala High Court ruled that Muslim personal law didn't exempt one from prosecution under the POCSO Act for marrying a minor. This plea aims to settle the legal inconsistencies once and for all.

(With inputs from agencies.)