The 22nd Law Commission of India has decided again to solicit views and ideas of the public at large and recognized religious organizations about the Uniform Civil Code. This is in view of the fact the consultation paper issued by the previous Law Commission on the subject is more than three years old.
In 2018, the Law Commission of India released a Consultation Paper on ‘Reform of Family Law’, in which it opined that “formulation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage”.
Since this consultation paper is now more than three years old, the present Law Commission headed by former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has decided to invite the views and suggestions of stakeholders afresh.
WHAT IS UNIFORM CIVIL CODE?
The Uniform Civil Code proposes to introduce personal laws that would apply to all citizens equally, irrespective of their religion, gender, caste, etc. The Uniform Civil Code essentially refers to a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.
At present, the personal laws of various communities are largely governed by their religion.