No legal sanctity, no fatwas: SC on Shariat courts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Shariat courts that dispense justice among Muslim community members have no legal sanctity and at times their order infringes the fundamental rights of the people. [caption id=“attachment_1606395” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Supreme Court ruled that Shariyat courts are illegal. Reuters[/caption] The apex court bench headed by Justice CK Prasad said that religious courts cannot pass an order that infringes on the fundamental rights of a person or of an affected person on a plea by a third person. The court said the Shariat courts can only pass edicts and only when an affected person approaches it. The court said this while disposing of a petition that sought to put a cap on Shariyat courts, saying that they were functioning as parallel to the country’s judicial system. IANS