Court’s Duty to Uphold Women’s Dignity and Autonomy: Madras High Court’s Landmark Ruling
The Madras High Court has reaffirmed that the judiciary’s responsibility extends beyond statutory interpretation—it also includes safeguarding the dignity, autonomy, and peace of women, especially after matrimonial disputes have lawfully ended. In a significant judgment delivered by Justice L. Victoria Gowri on November 13, the Madurai Bench dismissed a maintenance plea that sought to drag a divorced woman back into litigation nearly a decade after her mutual-consent divorce. This decision reasserts the Constitutional mandate under Article 21 and clarifies the limits of maintainability and locus standi in maintenance proceedings. Background of the Case Divorce and Settlement in 2014 The woman and her estranged husband obtained a mutual consent divorce in 2014. As part of the agreement: The mother voluntarily declined maintenance. Custody of the minor son was granted to the father. The father agreed to bear all maintenance expenses for the child. Both parties subsequent...