Sabarimala temple entry reference case hearing concluded by Supreme Court on May 14

Key facts

• The Supreme Court (SC) concluded a 16-day marathon hearing on the Sabarimala temple entry reference case on May 14.
• The case was heard by a nine-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan, and Joymalya Bagchi.
• The Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, argued that Article 25(1), which guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise, and propagate religion, does not itself provide for gender equality.
• The bench discussed the scope of Article 26, which recognizes the right of religious denominations to regulate their own affairs.
• The court examined the limits of the State's power to introduce reforms in religious practices under Article 25(2)(b).