The Law Commission of India has deferred submission of its report on the crucial Uniform Civil Code until the next year. After Supreme Court's landmark judgement on banning instant triple talaq, it was widely presumed that the Law Commission would now soon furnish its detailed report on the Universal Civil Code that has been fined-tuned after panning over 40,000 suggestions from public, experts, political parties, religious groups and NGOs.
The commission was tasked by the Law ministry in June 2016 to examine, in depth, "matters in relation to the Uniform Civil Code and suggest if it can be introduced in India where all religions have separate personal codes".
Sources said the apex court's voluminous judgement on triple talaq has made it necessary for the Commission to study its observation in detail.
The commission had put the process of tabulating responses on hold following petitioner Shayara Bano's appeal against instant triple talaq.
The process of tabulation has been resumed but it will take several months to come up with comprehensive recommendations, sources said.
The commission has time until August 2018 to wrap up its report. It will be done before that, a senior commission official said. The government has already said that it will take the report on uniform civil code to an all-party meet to decide on the future course of action.
However, the uniform civil code has been a key poll plank of the BJP during elections and deferring it now does raise an eyebrow.
