SC bench to hear review pleas on same-sex marriage verdict

A new five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will consider review petitions in the same-sex marriage case on January 9, potentially marking a crucial moment for LGBTQIA+ rights and legal advocates pushing for marriage equality.

- Utkarsh Anand

The bench, comprising justices Bhushan R Gavai, Surya Kant, BV Nagarathna, PS Narasimha, and Dipankar Datta, will deliberate on the petitions in chambers, adhering to the standard practice of closed-door proceedings for reviews. The bench has the discretion of allowing open court hearing if it agrees with the review petitioners that the matter warrants oral submissions because of its significance.

The reconstitution of the bench follows the July 2024 recusal of justice Sanjiv Khanna, who stepped aside from the case citing personal reasons. Justice Narasimha is now the sole member from the original Constitution bench that delivered the October 2023 verdict, as former Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli have all since retired.