The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Monday its verdict on a batch of petitions relating to the exercise of its vast powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to dissolve broken-down marriages between consenting couples without referring them to family courts for protracted judicial proceedings to get decrees of separation.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice S K Kaul is also expected to rule on the legal issue of whether the sweeping powers of the top court under the provision are inhibited in any manner in a scenario where a marriage has irretrievably broken down in the opinion of the court but one of the parties is resisting divorce.
Article 142 of the Constitution deals with the enforcement of decrees and orders of the apex court to do “complete justice” in any matter pending before it.