Yet another Triple Talaq Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, which seeks to criminalise the practice of Triple Talaq, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today..Previous attempts to introduce such a legislation were met with staunch opposition. And today was no different. While 186 sitting members of the Lok Sabha supported the latest version of the Triple Talaq Bill, 74 members opposed it..Justifying the need for the Bill, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today stated that after the Supreme Court’s judgment striking down the practice, over 200 cases of instant Triple Talaq have been reported across the country..A 2017 version of the Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha. However, the Bill did not see the light of day after opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha expressed reservations regarding some provisions of the Bill..Thereafter, the Central government passed an Ordinance criminalizing the practice of Triple Talaq in September 2018. After the Ordinance lapsed, the Union Cabinet re-introduced it in the form of a Bill, which resembles the Ordinance..The Bill deemed any pronouncement of Talaq by a person upon his wife by any manner whatsoever, void and illegal. It also prescribed a prison sentence for a Muslim husband who indulges in the practice, that could go up to three years, as well as a fine..The offence of Triple Talaq was also made a cognizable one, if information relating to the offence is given by the married woman (against whom Talaq has been declared), or any person related to her by blood or marriage. The offence may be compoundable at the instance of the married woman..A Magistrate may grant bail to a Muslim man accused of committing the offence, if he is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for doing so..Though the Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session of Parliament in 2018, it lapsed..Bar & Bench is available on WhatsApp. For real-time updates on stories, click here to subscribe to our WhatsApp.