Marriage registration: SC extends deadline by four months

New Delhi, Apr 28 The Supreme Court today granted four more months to some States and Union Territories to file their compliance reports on making registration of marriages for all communities mandatory.A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam extended the time as some of the States/Union Territories failed to comply with the October 25, 2007 order of the apex court to ensure compliance of its direction within three months.On February 2, 2006 the apex court while dealing with a matrimonial dispute had ordered States and UTs to make registration of marriage a compulsory exercise.However, most of the legislation making registration of marriages mandatory for Hindus precluded other communities from the purview of the legislation, following which the apex court issued a fresh direction clarifying that it should be applicable to all communities.It had passed the said order last year after observing that compulsory registration of marriage would ensure prevention of child marriages, still prevalent in many parts of the country.However, even after the clarification many States and UTs had failed to comply with the directions as a result of which the apex court gave a further four months time for the compliance of its order. (Agencies)
Published: Monday, April 28, 2008www.chennaionline.com