Uttarakhand UCC Amendment Introduces Up to 7-Year Jail Term for Forced Marriages, Live-In Offences

The Uttarakhand government has notified the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance after receiving the Governor’s assent, introducing stricter penal provisions relating to marriage and live-in relationships.

The amendment prescribes imprisonment of up to seven years for entering into a marriage or live-in relationship through force, coercion, or fraud.

It also criminalises remarriage or live-in relationships without a valid divorce, and parallel live-in relationships. Living in a live-in relationship with a minor attracts imprisonment and a fine.

The ordinance further penalises illegal divorces, misrepresentation at the time of marriage, and compulsion to follow prohibited remarriage conditions. Administrative changes have also been introduced to strengthen enforcement.