Kerala to seek legal opinion on verdict

The Kerala government will seek legal opinion to get more clarity on the verdict passed by the Supreme Court on the Sabarimala issue on Thursday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the previous verdict of a five-member bench allowing the entry of young women was still in force. “More clarity will be sought from legal luminaries,” Mr Pinarayi said.

Asked whether the government will provide security to women who wish to visit Sabarimala, he said all issues will be discussed after getting the legal opinion.

THE CONSTITUTION places a non-negotiable obligation on all authorities to enforce the judgments of the Supreme Court. JUSTICE R.F. NARIMAN, Supreme Court judge

This includes constitutional morality and the extent to which the court can enquire into the issue of a particular practice as an integral part of the religion or religious practice of a particular religious denomination or should that be left only to be determined by the head of the religious group.

Another question framed by the majority judgment relates to the “permissible extent” a PIL could be entertained on calling into question religious practices of a denomination or a section at the instance of those who do not belong to such a religious denomination.

CJI Gogoi also referred to an earlier decision of a seven-judge bench, which held that what are essential religious practices of a particular religious denomination should be left to be determined by the denomination itself.

Both sections of the same religious group, the CJI said, have “a right to freely profess, practise and propagate their religious beliefs as being integral part of their religion by virtue of Article 25.”