Aizawl, Mizoram – The Mizoram Legislative Assembly has unanimously approved amendments to the Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014, introducing major reforms to customary practices in the state.
The bill, piloted by Chief Minister Lalduhoma in his role as Law and Judicial Affairs Minister, formally prohibits polygamy and bigamy. Under the new provisions, individuals cannot remarry while a previous marriage remains valid, and divorce certificates will be mandatory before entering a new union.
Lawmakers said the changes bring Mizoram’s legal framework in line with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which criminalises multiple marriages. The legislation also strengthens women’s rights, ensuring that in cases of divorce or separation — locally referred to as Sum Chhuah — women retain claims over jointly acquired property.
Another clause specifies that Mizo women who marry non-Mizos will lose their Mizo status, with their children also excluded from Scheduled Tribe entitlements under state jurisdiction. In a progressive step, the law removes “leprosy” as a ground for divorce, recognising it as a treatable condition rather than a fault-based cause for separation.
The amended Act will be applicable across Mizoram, except in the three Autonomous District Councils, which continue to follow their own customary laws.
