2018 Sabarimala Judgment
Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala
On September 28, 2018, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, by a 4:1 majority, held that the exclusion of women aged 10–50 from the Sabarimala temple was unconstitutional. The majority struck down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which had given legal backing to the exclusion.
- The case was Indian Young Lawyers Association & Ors. v. The State of Kerala & Ors. (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 373 of 2006).
- The majority held that physiological characteristics cannot be the basis for denying devotees the right to worship, and that the practice violated Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination), 17 (untouchability), 19(1)(a) (expression), and 21 (life and dignity).
- Justice Indu Malhotra dissented, arguing that the Sabarimala temple qualifies as a religious denomination under Article 26 with the right to manage its own religious affairs, and that courts should not interfere in matters of faith.
- Review petitions against the judgment were filed, and in 2019 the Supreme Court referred the matter to a larger seven-judge bench to consider questions of essential religious practice and the limits of judicial review.
- Separately, in 2023, the Supreme Court passed orders addressing related questions of essential religious practice in the context of Muslim women's entry into mosques and Parsi women's entry into agiaries.
● Tracked since March 02, 2026 · last seen April 09, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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