SC admits petition against Shariat Courts

New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) The Supreme Court today decided to examine the issue of shariat courts which according the petitioner are parallel courts and should be banned.

The petitioner Vishwa Lochan Madan, an advocate told the bench comprising Justices A K Mathur and Dalveer Bhandari that these courts are virtually running a parallel judicial system in violation of the law of the land and must be banned.

The apex court admitted the PIL.

The Centre and the Muslim Personal Law Board have, however denied the allegations made in the petition and have contended that the orders and decrees of Shariat courts were not binding and that these courts which are only involved in amicable settlement of matrimonial disputes among the muslims and do not follow the formal procedure of the courts.

These courts only deal with matters related to muslim customs and with legal disputes.

The petitioner, has however contended that these courts can not be allowed to function as such courts do not find any place in the Constitutional scheme of the country and no community or relgious group can be allowed to have courts functioning along religious lines as such courts also weakened the secular fabric of the nation.

UNI