Supreme Court Rules on Ownership of Wedding Jewellery
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that all jewelry and gifts given by a woman’s parents during her marriage are exclusively hers. This includes gold jewelry from the bride’s family and presents from her husband’s side.
In its written judgment, the court stated this ruling applies to gold jewelry presented by the bride’s parents as well as bridal gifts from her in-laws. The court also clarified that family courts have jurisdiction over disputes regarding recovery of a woman’s jewelry and personal belongings.
The judgement was authored by Justice Shakeel Ahmed under the leadership of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. The court dismissed an appeal filed by the bride’s in-laws seeking return of the jewelry. Women facing issues with reclaiming their gold jewelry or personal items from their husbands or mothers-in-law can file a case in family courts, which are legally obligated to address such matters per the law.