Supreme Court Questions IYLA Standing in Sabarimala PIL

India's Supreme Court expressed sharp skepticism over the standing of the Indian Young Lawyers Association in filing a 2006 public interest litigation that challenged restrictions on women aged 10 to 50 entering the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. A nine-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant raised these concerns during a recent hearing on review petitions stemming from the case.

The bench, which included Justices B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, and others, interrogated advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta, representing the association. Justices questioned whether the organization, as a juristic entity, possessed the necessary belief or stake to challenge religious customs. "How does a juristic body like yours have a belief? This is for an individual," Justice Nagarathna stated. The court also probed the absence of a formal resolution authorizing the PIL and noted that the association's then-president, Noushad Ali, was unaware of the filing and served only nominally.

Chief Justice Kant highlighted inconsistencies in the petition, which sought entry for women while claiming not to challenge the underlying religious belief. He remarked that petitions based solely on...