In a significant legal discourse, the Uttarakhand High Court has raised a probing question regarding the mandatory registration of live-in relationships as part of the state’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The court questioned how such registration could be considered an invasion of privacy when the couples involved are publicly cohabiting.
During the proceedings, a division bench comprising Chief Justice G. Narender and Justice Alok Mehra addressed a petition challenging this mandate. The justices remarked, “You are living in society, not in a far-off cave in the jungle. From neighbours to the society, your relationship is known and you are living together brazenly, without being married. Then how can the registration of live-in relationships invade your privacy?”
The petitioners, an inter-faith couple, argued that the UCC’s provision for mandatory registration infringes upon their privacy and poses a societal challenge due to their faith backgrounds. They expressed distress over the requirement, which if not complied with, could lead to imprisonment and fines.
Legal representatives for the petitioners further contended that many live-in relationships evolve into successful marriages and that the UCC provision unnecessarily complicates the couples’ future and their right to privacy.
