NEW DELHI: A 9-judge bench of Supreme Court will hear the pleas relating to discrimination against women at religious places, including Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple.The hearing is set to begin April 7 and proposed to be concluded on April 22. The composition of the 9-judge bench will be notified by the Chief Justice of India separately through an administrative order.A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi passed the orders on Monday for the listing of the reference before the 9-judge bench.“A nine judge bench shall commence hearing in these matters on April 7, 2026 (Tuesday) at 10:30 AM. The review petitioners or the parties supporting them shall be heard from April 7-9, April 2026. The original writ petitioners opposing the review petitioners shall be heard on April 14-16, 2026. The rejoinder submissions if any will be heard on April 21, 2026 followed by the final and concluding submissions by the learned amicus which is expected to be over by April 22. The parties shall adhere to the above time schedule,” the top court noted.”The nodal counsels in consultation with arguing counsel of the parties shall prepare the internal arrangement so that oral submissions from both sides can be heard within stipulated timeline” it added. Listed along with these were petitions relating to the issues of Muslim women’s entry in Dargah/mosques, entry of Parsi women in Fire Temples if they have married a non-Parsi, validity of the practices of excommunication and Female Genital Mutilation among Dawoodi Bohra community.In 2018, a Constitution Bench of the apex court, permitted the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, striking down the centuries-old practice that barred women between the ages of 10 and 50.Subsequently, a nine-judge Constitution Bench on February 10, 2020 upheld the decision of the Sabarimala Review Bench to refer to a larger Bench broad questions concerning the interplay between essential religious practices, equality, and constitutional morality across faiths.Centre along with other parties are supporting the review petitions, effectively challenging the 2018 ruling that allowed entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.The original writ petitioners now respondents in the review proceedings, are opposing the review pleas and seeking to uphold the 2018 judgment.
