A Brief Note on Assam's Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill – 2024

Abstract : In the recent past (on August 29, 2024) the 126 – member Assam Legislative Assembly passed the ‘Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorce Bill, 2024 seeks to prevent child marriage, check polygamy, and to put an end the role of Qazis in the process of registration of marriages and to make the registration of Muslim marriages and divorce with the government compulsory . Terming the bill historic, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government aimed to do away with the Qazi system apart from preventing child marriage among Muslims. “We have neither touched the Muslim Personal Law nor interfered with Islamic marriage rituals. The Act brings the Sub-Registrar into the picture instead of the Qazis for registration”. Some have termed the new procedure progressive and some other commented the new procedure creates unnecessary cumbersomeness.