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There are a few essential steps that need to be followed to make the marriage valid1: Proposal and Acceptance There has to be a proposal made by or on behalf of one person and it has to be accepted by the other for a valid marriage. Consent Consent is a very important criteria for aRead more

Under muslim personal law, there is no compulsory requirement to get amarriage registered, although the muslim law does not prohibit registration of marriage. The Nikahnama with the Qazi is the proof of a valid marriage. 1 Mulla, D. F., Sir. (n.d.). Principles of Mahomedan Law (20th ed.) p.332.[↩]Read more

A marriage of a person who is of sound mind and has attained puberty but has not given their consent, is an invalid marriage. The bride has the option to communicate her consent with a Wali who may be a relative. A Wali can be anyone chosen by the woman who is close to herRead more

How can the guide help you? The Nyaaya Guide on Inter-religious Marriages outlines the process involved if you wish to enter into an inter-religious or inter-faith civil marriage. Under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, two people belonging to different religions can get married without converting to another religion. This guide summarises the legal and proceduralRead more

The marriage procedure differs according to the person performing the marriage. The law does not give details of the procedure in cases where the marriage is conducted as per the rules of a particular denomination of the Church. However, when the marriage is performed by an official appointed by the Act, like a Marriage RegistrarRead more

A marriage performed by a licensed Minister of Religion is divided into 4 stages:  Stage 1: Issuing of Preliminary Notice  In case two persons wish to be married by a licensed Minister of Religion, one of them must give a notice in person to the Minister, stating their intention to be married. The notice shouldRead more

A marriage performed by a Marriage Registrar is divided into 4 stages: Stage 1: Issuing of Preliminary Notice If a couple wishes to be married by a Marriage Registrar, one of them must give a notice in person to the Registrar of the district in which the couple lives. In case they live in differentRead more

As per the law, a person licensed to grant Marriage certificates can only certify marriage between two Indian Christians 1, neither of them coming from the Roman Catholic faith2. Under these provisions, any two Indian Christians can marry, without preliminary notices, if they fulfill the following conditions: The bridegroom is over 21 years and theRead more

In case a person has given the notice to have their marriage performed by or in the presence of a Marriage Registrar, and the Registrar has refused to issue a certificate of marriage, one can approach the Court. Those residing in the towns of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai can directly approach their respective High Courts,Read more

The Indian Christian Marriage law, which governs the law of Christian marriages, is applicable throughout India, except in the  states of Travancore-Cochin and Manipur.  In Manipur, Christian marriages take place through customary rules and personal laws. Travancore-Cochin is currently part of the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In the Cochin area of Kerala, ChristianRead more

Under Christian law, a minor is defined as someone below the age of 21 years, and is not a widow or widower. In case one of the parties intending marriage is a minor, they would require the consent of their father to get married. If the father of the party is not alive, then theRead more

Time of Marriage A Christian marriage can only be performed between 6 AM and 7 PM1. However, priests from the Church of England, Church of Rome, and the Church of Scotland can perform a marriage beyond these hours, as long as it is according to the rules and customs of their Church. Moreover, priests fromRead more

Given below are the offences under the Christian Marriage law: Giving a false oath or declaration If anyone, for the purpose of their marriage, gives a false oath or declaration, or signs a false certificate or notice of marriage, they will be punished with up to 3 years of jail time and fine1. Offences regardingRead more

Irregular marriages are those marriages where certain conditions are not followed. Usually, such marriages are considered to be invalid from the start. However, the law states that in case there are irregularities, the marriage will not be invalidated, rather it will be rectified1. Given below are some of the reasons for which a marriage mayRead more

The following persons can perform a Christian Marriage under the law: Any person who has received the ordination from their church to be a priest/minister1.Any clergyman of the Church of Scotland2.Any Minister of Religion licensed under the Indian Christian Marriage law to perform marriages3. A Marriage Registrar appointed under the Indian Christian Marriage Act. The marriageRead more

Any two persons, where one or both participants are Christians, can get married under Christian law1. In the eyes of law, any person who truly believes in the Christian faith will be a Christian2. Whether or not they have been baptised into the faith need not determine their status as a Christian. Rather, the lawRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. You live in a shared household with your harasser if you:  Have lived with the harasser  In order to seek protection and relief, you must live, or have lived at some point of time, with your harasser in theRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. In order to seek relief for domestic violence under the law, you need to prove that you have a domestic relationship with the harasser. A domestic relationship means that you are related in any of the following ways withRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. An act of domestic violence can happen anywhere. It need not always be confined to the house you are living in.1 Domestic violence can take place anywhere, like your place of employment or education, your child’s school, the marketplace,Read more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Domestic violence can be of many different kinds and in many form, such as verbal, sexual, etc. Given below is an indicative list of signs of domestic violence. You can get protection and go to Court if you, orRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Any woman can file a complaint and seek protection against domestic violence under the law, for herself and her child/children. The religion of the woman does not matter1 i.e. any woman, regardless of her religion or caste, can fileRead more

You can complain against both men and women for domestic violence. You can complain against the following:  Your family: You can complain about your family, if they are subjecting you to domestic violence, in the following circumstances: If you are related to the harasser by blood, you can file a case against them. For example,Read more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Counselling refers to the provision of professional guidance by a counsellor, who will help you and your harasser settle the matter of the domestic violence you have faced, furnish a guarantee that violence will not repeat, and come upRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you decide to file a domestic violence complaint, a Protection Officer (PO) is generally the first point of contact for you. Anyone, including someone you know, can visit, call, or write to a Protection officer in your districtRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you have faced domestic violence, then you can file an application with the Court (Civil Court, Family Court or Criminal Court) for immediate help and protection1. You should take the help of a lawyer and if you doRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. To seek immediate protection from domestic violence, you should file an application with the Court with the help of a Protection Officer or a lawyer. The Court will pass a protection order to give you and your child/children protectionRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Domestic incident report (DIR)1 is a report that is made on receiving a complaint of domestic violence from a woman. This report can be made by either a Protection Officer or a service provider. The DIR will contain detailsRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. If you are being thrown out of your shared household (house) by your harasser or you don’t feel safe living in your house, you can approach the Court for help with the assistance of a lawyer or a ProtectionRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. While filing a domestic violence complaint, you might need additional support and help, which you can access by approaching the authorities listed below.  Support and Assistance Protection Officer You can also approach the Protection Officer of your district, whoRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. You can also reach out to certain helplines that will help you file a complaint, locate the relevant Protection Officer, and provide additional help and support. The relevant governmental helplines are listed below. Violence and Crimes Police If youRead more

In addition to filing a case for domestic violence, where you can seek, among other things, protection or monetary relief, you can also1 file a criminal case with the Court against the harasser if the violence you faced is severe. By filing a criminal case, the harasser would be punished for the act of violence committedRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. To get money or compensation from the harasser, you can file an application 1 with the Court asking for monetary relief with the help of a lawyer or a Protection Officer. The Court will pass an order to compensate youRead more

Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on domestic violence which some readers may find disturbing. Medical Facilities If you have been subjected to domestic violence, it is your right to receive medical assistance. You can approach the Protection Officer of your district or any service provider working within the ambit of women’s rights, andRead more

Domestic violence refers to violent or abusive behavior in a household that causes harm and may put the health and safety of a woman or any child under her custody in danger. With the help of the law1, you can: Prevent further violence by getting immediate protection. To get immediate protection, you can approach differentRead more

There is no specific time limit1for filing a complaint against domestic violence, but you must be able to prove that you were in a domestic relationship with the harasser at the time the violence took place. However, if there is a delay in complaining against the domestic violence that you have faced, you might beRead more