India, March 11 -- The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday observed that the time may have come for a Uniform Civil Code while hearing a plea challenging provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 as discriminatory to Muslim women. A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and R Mahadevan said that while the petition raised "a very good case" on discrimination, reforms of this nature are better addressed by the legislature.

The court cautioned that striking down the 1937 law governing Muslim inheritance could create a legal vacuum as there is no statutory law currently regulating Muslim inheritance. "In our over-anxiety for reforms, we may end up depriving them," the Chief Justice told seni...