Section 38, 39, 40, 40A, 40B and 40C of Special Marriage Act 1954

Section 38. Custody of children

In any proceeding under Chapter V or Chapter VI the district court may, from time to time, pass such interim orders and make such provisions in the decree as it may seem to it to be just and proper with respect to the custody, maintenance and education of minor children, consistently with their wishes wherever possible, and may, after the decree, upon application by petition for the purpose, make, revoke, suspend or vary, from time to time, all such orders and provisions with respect to the custody, maintenance and education of such children as might have been made by such decree or interim orders in case the proceeding for obtaining such decree were still pending.

2 [Provided that the application with respect to the maintenance and education of the minor children, during the proceeding, under Chapter V or Chapter VI, shall, as far as possible, be disposed of within sixty days from the date of service of notice on the respondent.]

Section 39. Appeals from decrees and orders.3

(1) All decrees made by the court in any proceeding under Chapter V or Chapter VI shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), be appealable as decrees of the court made in the exercise of its original civil jurisdiction, and such appeal shall lie to the court to which appeals ordinarily lie from the decisions of the court given in the exercise of its original civil jurisdiction.

(2) Orders made by the court in any proceeding under this Act, under section 37 or section 38 shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), be appealable if they are not interim orders, and every such appeal shall lie to the court to which appeals ordinarily lie from the decisions of the court given in the exercise of its original jurisdiction.

(3) There shall be no appeal under this section on the subject of costs only.

(4) Every appeal under this section shall be preferred within a 4 [period of ninety days] from the date of the decree or order.

Section 39A. Enforcement of decrees and orders

All decrees and orders made by the court in any proceeding under Chapter V or Chapter VI shall be enforced in the like manner as the decrees and orders of the court made in the exercise of its original civil jurisdiction for the time being are enforced.]

Section 40. Application of Act 5 of 1908

Subject to the other provisions contained in this Act, and to such rules as the High Court may make in this behalf, all proceedings under this Act shall be regulated, as far as may be, by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908).

Section 40A. Power to transfer petitions in certain cases.5

(1) Where-

(a) a petition under this Act has been presented to the district court having jurisdiction, by a party to the marriage praying for a decree for judicial separation under section 23 or for a decree of divorce under section 27, and

(b) another petition under this Act has been presented thereafter by the other party to the marriage praying for decree for judicial separation under section 23, or for decree of divorce under section 27 on any ground whether in the same district court, or in a different district court, in the same State or in a different State, the petition shall be dealt with as specified in sub-section (2).

(2) In a case where sub-section (1) applies,-

(a) if the petitions are presented to the same district court, both the petitions shall be tried and heard together by that district court;

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1. Subs. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 36, for "it shall rescind the order" (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).
2. The proviso ins. by Act 49 of 2001, s. 7 (w.e.f. 24-9-2001).
3. Subs. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 37, for section 39 (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).
4. Subs. by Act 50 of 2003, s. 3, for "period of thirty days" (w.e.f. 23-12-2003).
5. Ins. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 38 (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).

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(b) if the petitions are presented to different district courts, the petitions presented later shall be transferred to the district court in which the earlier petition was presented and both the petitions shall be heard and disposed of together by the district court in which the earlier petition was presented.

(3) In a case where clause (b) of sub-section (2) applies, the court or the Government, as the case may be, competent under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), to transfer any suit or proceeding from the district court in which the later petition has been presented to the district court in which the earlier petition is pending, shall exercise its powers to transfer such later petition as if it had been empowered so to do under the said Code.

Section 40B. Special provisions relating to trial and disposal of petitions under the Act

(1) The trial of a petition under this Act shall, so far as is practicable consistently with the interests of justice in respect of the trial, be continued from day to day, until its conclusions, unless the court finds the adjournment of the trial beyond the following day to be necessary for reasons to be recorded.

(2) Every petition under this Act shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within six months from the date of service of notice of the petition on the respondent.

(3) Every appeal under this Act shall be heard as expeditiously as possible, and endeavour shall be made to conclude the hearing within three months from the date of service of notice of appeal on the respondent.

Section 40C. Documentary evidence

Notwithstanding anything contained in any enactment to the contrary, no document shall be inadmissible in evidence in any proceeding at the trial of a petition under this Act on the ground that it is not duly stamped or registered.