The Madras High Court ruled that a married woman can apply for a passport without her husband’s permission or signature. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh delivered the verdict while hearing a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution. The petitioner, married in 2023 and a mother in 2024, faced delays in passport processing due to a pending divorce case. The Regional Passport Office had insisted on her husband’s signature in Form-J. The Court found this requirement illegal and rooted in outdated patriarchal norms. It held that marriage does not erase a woman’s individuality. The Court slammed the passport office’s demand as male supremacism and an impossible condition, especially in cases of marital discord. It emphasized that women have the right to independently apply for official documents.
The Court directed the passport office to process the petitioner’s application without her husband’s signature and issue the passport if all other formalities are met. The process must be completed within four weeks of receiving the order. This judgment strongly reinforces women’s autonomy and marks a step forward for gender equality in official procedures.
