Karnataka HC for implementation of Uniform Civil Code

The High Court of Karnataka has appealed to Parliament and state legislatures to move forward with the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), calling it a crucial step toward realising the Constitutional ideals of justice, equality, secularism, and national unity.

The comment was made by the single Bench of Justice Sanjiv Kumar during the hearing of a case related to the partition of the property of a Muslim woman, Shahnaz Begum, after her death, in which the woman's husband and her siblings were parties.

The court observed that there was a huge difference in the rights of women under various religious laws, which hurt the constitutional principle of equality. Justice Kumar said that the Uniform Civil Code is mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution, and only by implementing it can equality and justice be guaranteed to citizens.

He particularly highlighted the unequal status of women, who are still denied equal rights due to religion-based personal laws. The court further stated that states like Goa and Uttarakhand had taken initiatives in the direction of UCC and now the time had come to implement it across the country.