All Writings

If a woman is duped into marriage by a man who is already married, and then deserted, can she claim maintenance for herself and her children? Savitaben was married in…

A recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of a disabled woman from Madhya Pradesh highlighted that a married Hindu woman cannot adopt a child. The Supreme Court, in a…

The sexist attitudes of a patriarchal society ensure that convictions in rape cases in India are rare. The recent Supreme Court judgment, convicting the accused solely on the basis of…

In its first ever judgment involving the Domestic Violence Act, the Supreme Court gives an interpretation clearly at odds with the objectives of the Act and against the interests of…

In a recent judgment the Supreme Court attempted to clarify the concept of 'mental cruelty' in matrimonial law. Do these conditions and definitions work in a country like India with…

A recent Supreme Court judgment stating that money demanded on account of financial stringency or to meet urgent domestic expenses does not constitute dowry has serious repercussions for ongoing and…

Laws drafted in dusty government offices are often vague and full of loopholes. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 is a clear and concise piece of legislation…

The courts tend to take an insensitive stand on the multiple, and often contradictory, versions of victims/survivors of gender violence - whether it's Zaheera Sheikh of the Best Bakery case…

The Supreme Court recently ruled that there is no bar on inter-caste or inter-religion marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act. Anyone who harasses, threatens or subjects such a couple to…