The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday asked the state government to review beef ban in the state, prevalent since 1932, saying that such old laws are "dead and fossilised" and hence lost sheen in the modern world.

The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices MH Attar, Tashi Rabstan and Ali Mohammad Magray, thus vacating the high court's last month's order that had called for strict enforcement of an old law banning the cow slaughter and sale of beef in the state.

"Certain laws or some provisions thereof, created to achieve a definite purpose, or to serve the ends of an autocratic monarch, or a section of people, have after coming into force of Constitution become obsolete, redundant, or, are an offence to it," India Today quoted the bench as saying.

"Remaining of such laws or provision thereof on the statute book would be inconsequential and are incapable of enforcement, having assumed the character of fossils. Some laws or provisions of laws, with the passage of time, lose their sheen and are dead laws rendered incapable of enforcement."

"The State of Jammu and Kashmir in view of observation made in this order shall have to consider reviewing of existing laws and take policy decision within the framework of Constitution, and ensure that no inter-religious conflict takes place amongst the people of the State," the court said.

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