Question

Under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, between which hours must a marriage generally be solemnized?

• A. Between seven in the morning and eight in the evening
• B. Between five in the morning and six in the evening
• C. Between six in the morning and seven in the evening
• D. Between six in the morning and nine in the evening

Hint:

Many personal laws contain procedural requirements relating to place, witnesses, and timing. For the Indian Christian Marriage Act, remember the statutory time window: 6 A.M. to 7 P.M.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 lays down detailed procedural requirements regarding notice, registration, solemnization, and timing of Christian marriages.

Step 1: Refer to the statutory provision.

• Section 25 of the Indian Christian Marriage Act provides that marriages are generally to be solemnized between 6:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M.

• This rule applies unless a special licence authorizing a different time has been obtained.

Step 2: Apply the rule to the options.

• Option (C) exactly matches the statutory requirement.

• The remaining options prescribe timings not recognized by the Act.

General Rule: Marriage must be solemnized between 6 A.M. and 7 P.M.

Answer 2

This question calls for the specific timing fixed by the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 for the general solemnization of marriages. Each option proposes a different time window, so checking them against the statutory rule one at a time is the most direct way to answer.

1. Between seven in the morning and eight in the evening: This window is wider than what the Act actually prescribes as the general rule, and it does not correspond to the hours fixed under the relevant provision, so it does not fit.
2. Between five in the morning and six in the evening: This window starts too early and ends too early compared to the statutory hours, so it also fails to match the rule.
3. Between six in the morning and seven in the evening: This is exactly the window fixed under the relevant provision governing the solemnization of Christian marriages, which permits marriages to be generally solemnized only within these hours unless a special licence extending the time has been obtained.
4. Between six in the morning and nine in the evening: While this option correctly identifies six in the morning as the starting hour, it extends the closing hour beyond what the Act actually allows for the general rule, so it does not match either.

Only the six-in-the-morning to seven-in-the-evening window corresponds exactly to the timing the statute lays down for ordinary solemnization of marriages.

The correct answer is Between six in the morning and seven in the evening.