Semester- First

Course Name- Family Law-I

Course Code- LB-105
Core course: 5 credits; Classes – 64 (4 Classes/week + Tutorial)

Course Objectives:

1. To create awareness and educate the students about rights and duties of members of
family towards each other, with special reference to spousal relationship.
2. To give overview to the students and enhance their understanding on the current laws
on marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption and guardianship.
3. To give practical exposure to students by field visit of Family Courts, Mediation and
Conciliation Centres etc.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to practice in Law Courts as a specialized Matrimonial

Lawyer.
2. Students will be able to join Research Houses, especially on issues relating to
women and children at domestic and international level.

Unit I: Marriage under Hindu Law

Concept of marriage in general: Nature of Hindu Marriage; Applicability of Legislation

(Section 2 of HMA, 1955); Conditions for the validity of marriage (sections 3 and 5 of HMA,
1955); Solemnisation of marriage with special reference to live in relationship (section 7 of
HMA, 1955 r/w Section 114 Indian Evidence Act); Registration of Marriage (section 8 of
HMA, 1955); Void marriages (sections 11 r/w 17, 18 of HMA, 1955 r/w section 494 and 495
IPC); Voidable marriage (section 12).

Case:

01 Dr. Surajmani Stella Kujur v. Durga Charan Hansdah, 1

AIR 2001 SC 938
02 S. Nagalingam v. Sivagami (2001) 7 SCC 487 4
03 Bhaurao Shankar Lokhande v. State of Maharashtra, AIR 1965 SC 1564 8
04 Lily Thomas v. Union of India, AIR 2000 SC 1650 12
05 Asha Qureshi v. Afaq Qureshi, AIR 2002 MP 263 23
06 Court On Its Own Motion Lajja ... vs State, 2012 (193) DLT 61 27
07 P. v. K., AIR 1982 Bom. 400 46
08 Seema v. Ashwani Kumar, (2006) 2 SCC 578 56
09 Binod Kumar Singh v. Union of India, 2019 SCC OnLine Pat 2363 60
Unit II: Matrimonial Remedies under Hindu Law

Restitution of Conjugal Rights (Section 9 of HMA, 1955); Judicial Separation [section 10

and 13 (IA) of HMA, 1955]; Divorce [sections 13(1), (2), 13 (1A), 13 A, 13B of HMA, 1955]
(a) Theories of Divorce (b) Grounds of Divorce with particular emphasis on Cruelty,
Desertion, Option of Puberty, Mutual Consent, Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage:
Seventy-first Report of Law Commission of India; Marriage Laws Amendment Bill 2013.

Cases:
01. Kailashwati v. Ayodhia Parkash, 1977 C.L.J. 109 (P.& H.) 62
02. Swaraj Garg v. K.M. Garg, AIR 1978 Del. 296 73
03. Saroj Rani v. Sudarshan Kumar, AIR 1984 SC 1562 81
04. N.G. Dastane v. S. Dastane, AIR 1975 SC 1534 88
05. Samar Ghosh v. Jaya Ghosh, 2007 (3) SCJ 253 108
06. Bipinchandra Jaisinghbai Shah v. Prabhavati, AIR 1957 SC 176 129
07. Dharmendra Kumar v. Usha Kumar, AIR 1977 SC 2213 146
08. T. Srinivasan v. T. Varalakshmi, 1 (1991) DMC 20 (Mad.) 149
09. Hirachand Srinivas Managaonkar v. Sunanda, AIR 2001 SC 1285 156
10. Sureshta Devi v. Om Prakash, 1 (1991) DMC 313 (SC) 162
11. Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur AIR 2017 SC 4417 166

Unit III: Maintenance under Hindu Law

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, sections 24 and 25; The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance
Act, 1956, section 18; The Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, section 125; Protection of
Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

Cases:

01. D.Velusamy v. D.Patchaiammal (2010) 10 SCC 469 172

02. Badshah v. Sou. Urmila Badshah Godse & Anr(2014)1SCC188 179
03. Sanjivani Ramchandra Kondalkar v. Ramchandra Bimrao Kondalkar,
2019 SCC OnLine Bom 6581 187
04. Sanjay Damodar Kale v. Kalyani Sanjay Kale, 2020 SCC OnLine Bom 694 189

Unit IV: Adoption( Read With CARA Guidelines 2017)

The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956

Cases:
01. Brijendra v. State of M.P., AIR 2008 SC 1058 201
02. In Re: Adoption of Payal at Sharinee Vinay Pathak and his wife Sonika Sahay
Pathak, 2010 (1) Bom CR 434 206
03. Manju Sharma v.Vipin, MANU/DE/2061/2019 216
Unit V: Minority and Guardianship under Hindu Law
The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956

Case:
01. Githa Hariharan v. Reserve Bank of India (1999) 2 SCC 228 219

Unit VI: Sources and Schools of Muslim Law

Unit VII: Marriage under Muslim law

Nikah - Solemnisation of Marriage – conditions for validity, classification and types; Dower

Cases:
01. Ms. Ghulam Kubra Bibi v. Mohd. Shafi Mohd. Din, AIR 1940 Pesh. 231
02. Chand Patel v. Bismillah Begum, 1 (2008) DMC 588 (SC) 233

Unit VIII: Divorce under Muslim law

Extra-judicial - Talaq, Khula, Mubarat (b) Judicial - The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages
Act, 1939

Cases:
01 Shamim Ara v. State of U.P., 2002 Cr LJ 4726 (SC) 241
02 Masroor Ahmed v. Delhi (NCT) 2008 (103) DRJ 137 (Del.) 246
03 Ghulam Sakina v. Falak Sher Allah Baksh, AIR 1950 Lah. 45 259
04 A. Yousuf Rawther v. Sowramma, AIR 1971 Ker. 261 263
05 Itwari v. Asghari, AIR 1960 All. 684 273
06 Shayara Bano v. UOI, SC, decided on 22 August, 2017

Unit IX: Maintenance under Muslim law

Cases:
01. Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001) 7 SCC 740 280
02. Rana Nahid and Ors. v. Sahidul Haq, MANU/SC/0487/2020 295
Suggested Readings:

Prescribed Legislations:

1. The Family Court Act, 1984

2. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
3. Prohibition of Child Marriages Act, 2006
4. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
5. The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956
6. The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956
7. The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937
8. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939
9. The Muslim Woman (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986
10. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019

Prescribed Books:

1. Ranganath Misra (Rev.), Mayne’s Treatise on Hindu Law & Usage

2. Satyajeet A. Desai, Mulla’s Principles of Hindu Law
3. Paras Diwan, Law of Marriage and Divorce
4. M. Hidayatulla and Arshad Hidayatulla, Mulla’s Priciples of Mohomedan Law
5. Tahir Mahmood, Fyzee’s Outlines of Muhammedan Law

Teaching Plan:

Week 1: Marriage under Hindu Law

Week 2: Marriage under Hindu Law
Week 3: Marriage under Hindu Law
Week 4: Marriage under Hindu Law
Week 5: Restitution of Conjugal Rights and Judicial Separation under Hindu Law
Week 6: Divorce under Hindu Law
Week 7: Divorce under Hindu Law
Week 8; Maintenance under Hindu Law
Week 9: Maintenance and Adoption under Hindu Law
Week 10: Adoption, Minority and Guardianship under Hindu Law
Week 11: Sources and Schools of Muslim law; Marriage under Muslim law
Week 12: Marriage under Muslim law (Classification of Marriage)
Week 13: Divorce under Muslim law
Week 14: Divorce under Muslim law
Week 15: Maintenance under Muslim Law
Week 16: Maintenance under Muslim Law