Sabarimala Review: Seven Judge Bench To Consider Issue Of ‘Integral Practices Of Religion’

In its decision today (14 November) referring the Sabarimala review petitions to a seven-judge bench, the Supreme Court stated that the larger bench will consider the question of whether there can be judicial interference in determining what are the essential practices of a religion, reports Live Law.

The larger bench will also need to examine whether, once such integral portions of a religion have been identified, the constitutional court can pass an order which affects them.

The matter goes back to the apex court’s 28 September judgment allowing the entry of females of menstruating age to enter the premises of the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala. Devotees were against the court’s decision as it was against the age-old custom of the temple to barring the entry of females in the age group of 10-50 as Lord Ayyappa is considered to be a celibate deity.