The government has informed the Kerala High Court that the Law Reforms Commission has proposed a draft amendment to the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
The proposal is aimed at decriminalising the giving of dowry and encouraging people to report dowry-related abuse. It aims to redefine dowry as property or valuable security that the bridegroom or his relatives demand from the bride or her family, which could even attract imprisonment, the government said, in a PIL filed by Tellmy Jolly, an Ernakulam native.
After recording the submission, a Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V. M. issued notice to the Centre seeking its stand on the matter.
The Centre had in September 2025 sought more time to respond to the PIL that challenged the constitutional validity of Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, since it also penalised the giving of dowry. The petitioner contended that penalising the dowry giver — most often the victim or a family member — acted as a deterrent to reporting dowry-related harassment, fearing self-incrimination.
The State government had earlier informed the court that the Women and Child Development Department had initialised a dowry prohibition portal where aggrieved persons can directly file their complaints to the court. The matter has been posted for hearing on February 11.
Published – January 27, 2026 08:20 pm IST
