Chief Justice Surya Kant weighs religious rights cases against backlog
India's Supreme Court is having a big debate: should it spend precious time on religious rights disputes, or focus on its massive backlog?
This comes during hearings like the Sabarimala temple case (about women's entry) and a Parsi woman's excommunication for marrying outside her faith.
Chief Justice Surya Kant and his team are weighing whether these issues deserve top billing in court.
Justices question jurisdiction over religious disputes
With nearly 93,000 cases already pending, some judges wonder if religious conflicts belong in civil courts instead.
Justice Nagarathna pointed out that interfaith marriages under the Special Marriage Act are about law, not religion, so maybe civil courts should handle personal rights issues from such marriages.
Justice Sundresh added that fighting over competing rights shouldn't sideline other urgent matters, hinting at a need to balance resources and priorities.