A.M. Bhattacharjees Matrimonial Laws and the Constitution

Since the last edition of this book in 1996, there has been an increasing awareness and implementation of the concept of individual equality politically, socially and judicially. This has led to major statutory changes in personal laws particularly those relating to marriage. Most of these changes have been presaged by judicial decisions particularly of the High Courts. Enactments such as the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 26 and the Indian Divorce (Amendment) Act 21, are illustrative of this trend and have been dealt with extensively in the present edition.

Several landmark decisions of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts [such as the decision in Danial Latifi v Union of India (21)7 SCC 74 which reaffirmed parity in maintenance available to divorced women irrespective of religion and R.R. George Christopher, re (29)8 MLJ 39 holding that although adoption has not been recognised in India among Christians, this would not stand in the way of the right of a Christian couple to adopt a child under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2] have been considered and commented on.The instant edition offers a different perspective to the controversial question of the Uniform Civil Code relating to marriages and also demonstrates that many of the existing statutory provisions relating to personal laws are unconstitutional as being gender unjust.

New sections have been introduced including those dealing with talak, honour killings, fatwas and secular laws. This work which is based on the Sir Asutosh Lectures of the Calcutta University, is bound to inspire a rethinking of traditional approaches to personal laws and provides suggestions for future changes in personal laws which are at present the subject matter of serious disagreements and debate.

Key Features:

• Voidability of child marriage
• Conversion of one of the spouses
• Punishment for honour killing
• Maintenance to divorced Muslim wife
• Uniform Civil Code

Table of Contents:

• 1 Introduction
  • 1.1 Uniform Civil Code Article 44 Constitution of India
  • 1.2 Personal Laws
  • 1.3 Personal Law definition
  • 1.4 Uniform Matrimonial Law imperative necessity
  • 1.5 Article 44 non-implementation a grave failure
  • 1.6 Shah Bano Begum aftermath
  • 1.7 Danial Latifi
  • 1.8 Uniform Civil Code Sarla Mudgal v Union of India
  • 1.9 Present position
  • 1.10 Different sets of Matrimonial Laws constitutionality
• 2 Hindu Law of Marriage
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Conditions for Hindu marriage age
  • 2.3 Child marriage under Hindu Marriage Act whether void
  • 2.4 Guardianship in marriage
  • 2.5 Option of puberty section 13(2)(iv)
  • 2.6 The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006
  • 2.7 Conditions for Hindu marriage monogamy
  • 2.8 Restitution of conjugal rights constitutionality
  • 2.9 Grounds of divorce and judicial separation
    • 2.9.1 Conversion
    • 2.9.2 Rape, sodomy or bestiality
  • 2.10 Limitation for annulment constitutionality
  • 2.11 Fair Trial Rule one year bar
  • 2.12 Statements in pleadings section 20(2), Hindu Marriage Act
  • 2.13 Laws ancillary to matrimony constitutionality
    • 2.13.1 Succession
    • 2.13.2 Guardianship
• 3 Muslim Law of Marriage
  • 3.1 General  amenability to the Constitution
  • 3.2 Narasu Appa Maliratio
  • 3.3 Muslim Law amenability to Constitution Article 225
  • 3.4 Muslim Law State action
  • 3.5 Articles 13 and 25
  • 3.6 Views of some Jurists
  • 3.7 Polygamy for males and monogamy for females
  • 3.8 Law not violative of equality Narasu Appa Mali Dwarka Bai
  • 3.8.1 Article 15(1) of the Constitution
  • 3.9 Meaning of only in Article 15(1) Privy Council, Supreme Court and other decisions
  • 3.10 Conclusion
  • 3.11 Inter-Religious marriage Muslim Law of Divo
  • 3.12 General
    • 3.12.1 Talak
  • 3.13 Talak and Article 15whether discriminatory on the ground of sex
  • 3.14  Talak and Article 15whether discriminatory on the ground of religion
  • 3.15 Talak and Articles 14, 15, 21 and 51A
  • 3.15.1 Ahmedabad Women Action Groups case
  • 3.15.2 Khula or Mubaraat
  • 3.16 Ila and Zihar
  • 3.17 Lian
  • 3.18 Dissolution by court
  • 3.19 Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939 if exhaustive
  • 3.20 Right of divorcee to marry former spouse
  • 3.21 Divorced wifes right to maintenance
    • 3.21.1 Right under Personal Laws
    • 3.21.2 Right under Chapter IX, Code of Criminal Procedure 1973
    • 3.21.3 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986
  • 3.22 Conversion effect on marriage classical Muslim Law
  • 3.23 Reasons for non-application of the classical Muslim Law as to conversion to Islam
  • 3.24 Classical Muslim Law as to apostasy from Islam accepted propriety
  • 3.25 Impact of Caste Disabilities Removal Act 1850
  • 3.26 Impact of Article 15 discrimination on the ground of sex
  • 3.27 Impact of the Constitution Articles 14 and 15
  • 3.28 Impact of the Constitution Articles 14 and 21
  • 3.29 Sarla Mudgala critique
• 4 Christian Law of Marriage
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2  The Indian Divorce (Amendment) Act 2001
  • 4.3 Conversion if ground for dissolution of marriage
  • 4.4 Converts Marriage Dissolution Act 1866constitutionality
  • 4.5 The Indian Christian Marriage Act 1872
  • 4.6 Rape, sodomy and bestiality section 10, Divorce Act 1869
  • 4.7 Dissolution of marriage by mutual consent section 10A
  • 4.8  Grounds for nullity of marriage section 19, Divorce Act 1869
  • 4.9 Decrees for divorce and nullity sections 16 and 17
  • 4.10 Sections 16 and 17, Divorce Act and s. 19, Family Courts Act
  • 4.11  Legitimacy of children of void/voidable marriage section 21
  • 4.12 Judicial separation section 22
  • 4.13  Judicial separation husband not entitled to inherit wife’s property wife not disentitled
  • 4.14 Restitution of conjugal rights
  • 4.15 Alimony pendente lite section 36
  • 4.16 Proceedings in camera section 53
• 5 Parsi Law of Marriage
  • 5.1 Earliest Indian Marriage Law Code
  • 5.2 Conditions for valid marriage age section 3(1)(c)
  • 5.3  Conditions for valid marriage monogamy sections 4, 5 and 52(2)
  • 5.4 Monogamy punishment for bigamy section 5 necessity
  • 5.5 Grounds for divorce unnatural offence section 32(d)
  • 5.6 Grounds for divorce conversion section 32(j)
  • 5.7 Restitution of conjugal rights section 36 constitutionality
  • 5.8 Right and grounds of appeal section 47
  • 5.9 Legitimacy of children of void/invalid marriage sections 3(2) and 4
• 6 Special Marriage Act 1954
  • 6.1 Applicability irrespective of religion
  • 6.2 Mental capacity section 4(b)
  • 6.3 Conditions for valid marriage age sections 4(c) and 24(1)(i)
  • 6.4 Succession to property of parties married under this Act section 21
  • 6.5 Void marriage impotence
• 7 Uniform Matrimonial Code
  • 7.1 Uniform Civil Code and unity and integrity of the Nation
  • 7.2 The first question
  • 7.2.1 Articles 15 and 25 inter-relationship
  • 7.2.2 Articles 14 and 15
  • 7.3 The second question
  • 7.4 Discriminations in various matrimonial laws
  • 7.5 Secular Laws
  • 7.6 Indirect laws
  • 7.7 Judicial interpretation and activism
  • 7.8 Khap Panchayats and Fatwas
    • 7.8.1 Khap Panchayats
    • 7.8.2 Fatwas
  • 7.9 International Conventions
  • 7.10 Conclusions
• Appendices
• Appendix
  1. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
  2. The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat)
  3. Application Act, 1937
  4. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939
  5. The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872
  6. The Divorce Act, 1869
  7. The Converts Marriage Dissolution Act, 1866
  8. The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936
  9. The Special Marriage Act, 1954