New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday sought more
time from the Supreme Court to address the issue of removing
anomalies in the definition of a child in laws which were
coming in way of checking the menace of child marriage.
It told the apex court certain documents have been
supplied to it by the National Commission for Women and the
Delhi Commission for Women, which it was examining.
Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising said the
anamolies in different laws were being examined.
She said that in the Hindu Marriage Act there is no
express provision to invalidate child marriage.
However, the Child Marriage Restraint Act has been
repealed with the new law and the issue has been taken care
of, she said.
After a brief hearing, a Bench headed by Chief Justice
K G Balakrishnan adjourned the matter.
During the last hearing, advocate Aparna Bhat said the
new legislation The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006,
which got the President`s assent in Janaury 2007, did not
completely address the concern over child marriage.
Earlier last year, the apex court was told that the
Law Commission was examining anomalies in the definition of
child in various existing laws.
The National Commission for Women and the Delhi
Commission for Women had said there were anomalies in the
definition of child.
They contended that the variance in age in different
laws to define a `minor` or a `child` was coming in the way of
dispensation of justice, particularly in cases relating to
girls below 18 years marrying after eloping with adult male.
PTI
