Plea in SC for enactment of Uniform Civil Code

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court today seeking enactment of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throught the country for protection of individuals' fundamental rights.
The plea sought a direction from the court to the Centre for taking effective steps for regulating social matters like marriage, divorce, maintainance and inheritance to secure the fundamental rights of individuals under such a code.
The petition, filed by advocate Farha Faiz who is one of the parties in the triple talaq case which will be heard on May 11 by a Constitution Bench, said that the Constitution directs the State to secure a UCC for the citizen throughout the country.

"That Uniform Civil Code remains a goal to attain, no steps have been taken by the state and generally minorities are blamed for it, but the fact is that minorities especially, common Muslims have nothing to do with it. Only communal leaders either political or self-declared community leaders politicised this issue for the sake of their self interest to maintain their position and supremacy," it said.
It said that a code is an urgent need of the day to make it easier to deliver justice, protect individual fundamental rights and reduce the unnecessary burden on the lower courts, especially family courts.

"Article 44 of the Constitution ensures UCC for the citizens throughout the territory of India. The object behind this article is to effect integration of India by bringing all communities under a common platform on matters which are at present governed by diverse personal laws but which do not form the essence of any religion," it said.