India: Uniform Civil Code draft handed over to law panel chief by eight eminent citizens

The Indian Express

Uniform Civil Code draft handed over to law panel chief

Eight eminent citizens, including scholars, a retired senior Army officer, two Magsaysay award winners, writers, classical singer and a legal luminary have lent their weight to the draft.

Written by Seema Chishti | New Delhi | Updated: October 12, 2017


A draft of a potential Uniform Civil Code, termed the ‘Progressive Uniform Civil Code’ (PUCC) was presented to the Chairman of the Law Commission, Justice (retd) BS Chauhan by a group of eminent citizens from various walks of life.

Last year, Justice Chauhan was tasked with helping formulate a draft on Uniform Civil Code, that the government could consider later. The Law Commission sent out a questionnaire to several faith groups, leading to some hostility and concerns over ensuring that Constitutional values apply to all personal laws. Sources close to the Commission said that the Draft UCC is a work in progress.

Soli Sorabjee, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, who was the Attorney General under the previous NDA government, wrote a letter to Justice Chauhan in support of the initiative. He said that “the Law Commission should obviate any apprehension that anything uniform, would be majoritarian. Besides its recommendations need to be far-sighted and progressive.”

Eight eminent citizens, including scholars, a retired senior army officer, Magsasay award winning activist and a classical singer, writers and a legal luminary have lent their weight to a draft that purports to provide “equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody, guardianship, inheritance and succession”, that too “irrespective of their gender, sex and sexuality, religious or cultural traditions or beliefs.” It sets out at the onset to bring about progressive uniform laws, “in line with globally accepted values of human rights”.