In a landmark ruling, the Madras High Court has declared that a married woman does not require her husband’s permission or signature to apply for a passport, calling the contrary practice a reflection of “male supremacism” and a violation of women’s constitutional rights.
Court Rebukes Passport Office Over Outdated Norms
The judgment came after a woman’s passport application was stalled by the Chennai Regional Passport Office, which insisted on her estranged husband’s signature on Form J, despite the couple being in the midst of divorce proceedings. The court termed the demand “shocking” and said it treated married women as “chattel belonging to the husband”.
“The petitioner after marrying does not lose her individuality,” Justice N. Anand Venkatesh observed. “A wife can always apply for a passport without the permission or signature of the husband in any form”.
A Win for Women’s Autonomy
The court emphasized that marital status cannot override individual rights, and that expecting a woman to obtain her husband’s cooperation during a legal separation was “virtually insisting her to fulfill an impossibility”.
The ruling directs the passport office to process the woman’s application independently and issue the passport within four weeks, provided all other requirements are met.
Legal Experts Hail the Verdict
Legal professionals have hailed the decision as a milestone for gender equality, reinforcing that no spouse can act as a gatekeeper to the other’s legal rights. The judgment is expected to prompt policy revisions in passport application procedures across India.
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