Adult marriage needs no family approval: J&K, Ladakh HC

India Nov 10, 2025

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court just made it clear: if you're an adult, your choice to marry is yours alone—no family, community, or clan approval needed.
Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi called this a basic right under the Constitution, stepping in after a young couple asked for protection from their families' threats.

Court's message in sync with earlier SC rulings

The court's message is simple but powerful—mutual consent between adults is all that counts in marriage.
This lines up with earlier Supreme Court decisions and pushes back against old-school ideas about "family honor."
The court also told the state to keep the couple safe and check their marriage records, making it clear that personal freedom comes first when families or society try to interfere.