The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872

This Act may be called the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872. Extent.1[It extends to the whole of India 2[except 3[the territories which, immediately before the1st November, 1956, were comprised in the States] of Travancore-Cochin, Manipur and 4***].]5 6*****

[Enactments repealed.]Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1938 (1 of 1938), s. 2 and the Schedule.

In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject orcontext,-- "Church of England" "Anglican".--mean and apply to the Church of England as by lawestablished; "Church of Scotland".--means the Church of Scotland as by law established; "Church of Rome" "Roman Catholic".--mean and apply to the Church which regards the Pope ofRome as its spiritual head; "Church".--includes any chapel or other building generally used for public Christian worship; 1["India".--means the 2[territories] to which this Act extends;] "minor".--minor means a person who has not completed the age of twenty-one years and who isnot a widower or a widow; 3***** "Christians".--the expression "Christians" means persons professing the Christian religion; "Indian Christians".--4[and the expression "Indian Christians" includes the Christian descendants ofnatives of India converted to Christianity, as well as such converts;] 5["Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages".--means a Registrar General of Births,Deaths and Marriages appointed under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886(6 of 1886).]

Every marriage between persons, one or both ofwhom is 1[or are] a Christian or Christians, shall be solemnized in accordance with the provisions of thenext following section; and any such marriage solemnized otherwise than in accordance with suchprovisions shall be void.

Marriages may be solemnized in 1[India]-- (1) by any person who has received episcopal ordination, provided that the marriage be solemnizedaccording to the rules, rites, ceremonies and customs of the Church of which he is a Minister; (2) by any Clergyman of the Church of Scotland, provided that such marriage be solemnizedaccording to the rules, rites, ceremonies and customs of the Church of Scotland; (3) by any Minister of Religion licensed under this Act to solemnize marriages; (4) by, or in the presence of, a Marriage Registrar appointed under this Act; (5) by any person licensed under this Act to grant certificates of marriage between 2[IndianChristians].