Law Commission ends extended deadline for submitting suggestions on UCC; receives 80 lakh responses

The Law Commission is a non-statutory body constituted by a notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of Legal Affairs.

The Law Commission of India (LCI) on Friday ended the deadline for receiving suggestions on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) from the public and the total responses were around 80 lakh. The law panel sought responses on June 14 from organizations and the public on the UCC, and the one-month deadline for filing responses ended on July 14. Following an “overwhelming response and numerous requests,” it was extended.

Some religious communities have opposed the idea of a Uniform Civil Code, citing concerns about “lack of transparency” and viewing it as a potential “threat to diversity”. (HT Archive) (File)(HT_PRINT)

The commission earlier said that it values the inputs of all stakeholders and aims to create an “inclusive environment that encourages active engagement.”

Days after the law panel began consulting organisations and seeking public opinion on the UCC, the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma this month said that there is an “unequivocal need for the codification of Muslim Personal Law”. She emphasised the need to revisit the marriage and divorce law and guardianship law. Rekha Sharma made these statements during an event organized by the NCW focused on Muslim women's rights and the review of Muslim personal law.

The LCI is a non-statutory body constituted by a notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of Legal Affairs, with a definite term of reference to carry out research in the field of law. The Commission makes recommendations to the Government in the form of Reports as per its terms of reference.

What is UCC?

A Uniform Civil Code is a collection of laws that govern personal matters, such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession, applicable to all citizens irrespective of their religion. Its purpose is to replace the current diverse personal laws that differ based on religious beliefs. The Constitution of India in Article 44 mandates that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.

Opposing views on UCC from communities

Some religious communities have opposed the idea of a Uniform Civil Code, citing concerns about “lack of transparency” and viewing it as a potential “threat to diversity”. The objection from the communities bring to the point where the code can become an “imposition of uniformity” on a diverse set of people in the country.

A former trustee of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat and ex-secretary of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI), wrote a letter to the LCI saying that any tampering with personal laws would interfere with the way of life that people have followed for generations.

The president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha also emphasised the importance of involving the opinions of communities when considering changes in personal laws, saying that an authoritarian approach would not work.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board sent its objections to the Law Commission, demanding that tribals and religious minorities be excluded from the purview of such a statute.

(With ANI, PTI inputs)