Ernakulam: In a major ruling, the Kerala High Court has struck down a one-year mandatory separation for divorce among Christian couples. The provision of Christian Divorce Act 1869 mandated one-year separation before a couple could apply for divorce with mutual consent.
In 2010, the same act mandated a 2-year cooling period but that was reduced to one year by the same court.
The latest verdict by the court has brought the Christian divorce law on par with other laws relating to marriage and divorce among other communities.
The Kerala High Court delivered the verdict in a case dealing a couple-Anup Disalva (30) and Libni Mary Jacob (28)- who had approached a family court. The family court had refused to hear the case prompting the couple to approach the High Court.