Supreme Court: Live-in partners get domestic cruelty protection under new law
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Judiciary & landmark judgments· Prelims + Mains·
Why in news
The Supreme Court expanded the scope of domestic cruelty protections to include live-in relationships resembling marriage under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Background
On August 3, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) cover domestic cruelty in live-in relationships. The court noted that the law's objective is to prevent household cruelty, which is not strictly tied to marital status.
Facts for Prelims
- Act / BillSections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) correspond to the former Section 498A of the IPC.
- BodyThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial body in the country.
- FactThe ruling was delivered by Justice Sanjay Karol.
For Mains
Q. Discuss the evolution of domestic violence laws in India and the judicial shift towards recognizing live-in relationships as protected entities under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- judicial activism
- evolving societal norms
- protection of vulnerable individuals
- legal parity between marriage and live-in
Keywords: judicial interpretation · domestic cruelty · Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita · societal realities · legal protection
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