CourtMesh

Section 4: Conditions relating to solemnization of special marriages.

The Special Marriage Act, 1954Central Act · Act 43 of 1954

Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force relating to the solemnization of marriages, a marriage between any two persons may be solemnized under this Act, if at the time of the marriage the following conditions are fulfilled, namely:--

(a) neither party has a spouse living;

[(b) neither party--

(i) is incapable of giving a valid consent to it in consequence of unsoundness of mind; or

(ii) though capable of giving a valid consent, has been suffering from mental disorder of such a kind or to such an extent as to be unfit for marriage and the procreation of children; or

(iii) has been subject to recurrent attacks of insanity * * *;]

(c) the male has completed the age of twenty-one years and the female the age of eighteen years;

[(d) the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship:

Provided that where a custom governing at least one of the parties permits of a marriage between them, such marriage may be solemnized, notwithstanding that they are within the degrees of prohibited relationship; and

[(e) where the marriage is solemnized in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, both parties are citizens of India domiciled in the territories to which this Act extends.]

[Explanation.-- In this section, "custom", in relation to a person belonging to any tribe, community, group or family, means any rule which the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf as applicable to members of that tribe, community, group or family:

Provided that no such notification shall be issued in relation to the members of any tribe, community, group or family, unless the State Government is satisfied--

(i) that such rule has been continuously and uniformly observed for a long time among those members;

(ii) that such rule is certain and not unreasonable or opposed to public policy; and

(iii) that such rule, if applicable only to a family, has not been discontinued by the family.]

Where this provision sits

ActThe Special Marriage Act, 1954
Section4
Marginal noteConditions relating to solemnization of special marriages.
JurisdictionCentral
StatusIn force as published by the source

How this provision has been amended

Taken from the footnotes printed with the provision by the source. Where a footnote names the amending instrument, it is quoted as printed.

  • substituted, Act 68 of 1976. . Subs. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 21, for clause (b) (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).
  • omitted, Act 39 of 1999. . The words "or epilepsy" omitted by Act 39 of 1999, s. 4 (w.e.f. 29-12-1999).
  • substituted, Act 32 of 1963. . Subs. by Act 32 of 1963, s. 2, for clause (d) (w.e.f. 22-9-1963).
  • substituted, Act 33 of 1969. . Subs. by Act 33 of 1969, s. 29, for clause (e) (w.e.f. 31-8-1969).
  • inserted, Act 32 of 1963. . Ins. by Act 32 of 1963, s. 2 (w.e.f. 22-9-1963).

Find the provision, not just read it

The full text above is free, and it stays free. What a free CourtMesh account adds is everything you cannot do by reading one page at a time:

  • Search 49,000+ Central and State enactments by what a provision says, not by its number
  • Jump from any section to every judgment that has applied it
  • Search 300 million+ Indian court records alongside the statute
  • Ask a research agent to find and read the case law on a provision for you

Free account. No card. About a minute to create.

Create a free account

Need this as data, not as a page? The Special Marriage Act, 1954 is one of 49,000+ enactments on CourtMesh. The Indian court cases API serves the case law that cites these provisions over JSON, with API documentation and plans and pricing. See also the judgment library.