The First Schedule – Special Marriage Act: Degrees of Prohibited Relationship

Special Marriage Act, 1954 — back to Table of Contents

The First Schedule — Degrees of Prohibited Relationship

[See section 2(b)]

Part I

A man may not marry any of the following (relatives of the bride’s side of a comparable list — see Part II):

1. Mother.
2. Father’s widow (step-mother).
3. Mother’s mother.
4. Mother’s father’s widow (step grand-mother).
5. Mother’s mother’s mother.
6. Mother’s mother’s father’s widow (step great grand-mother).
7. Mother’s father’s mother.
8. Mother’s father’s father’s widow (step great grand-mother).
9. Father’s mother.
10. Father’s father’s widow (step-grand mother).
11. Father’s mother’s mother.
12. Father’s mother’s father’s widow (step great grand-mother).
13. Father’s father’s mother.
14. Father’s father’s father’s widow (step great grand-mother).
15. Daughter.
16. Son’s widow.
17. Daughter’s daughter.
18. Daughter’s son’s widow.
19. Son’s daughter.
20. Son’s son’s widow.
21. Daughter’s daughter’s daughter.
22. Daughter’s daughter’s son’s widow.
23. Daughter’s son’s daughter.
24. Daughter’s son’s son’s widow.
25. Son’s daughter’s daughter.
26. Son’s daughter’s son’s widow.
27. Son’s son’s daughter.
28. Son’s son’s son’s widow.
29. Sister.
30. Sister’s daughter.
31. Brother’s daughter.
32. Mother’s sister.
33. Father’s sister.
34. Father’s brother’s daughter.
35. Father’s sister’s daughter.
36. Mother’s sister’s daughter.
37. Mother’s brother’s daughter.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this Part, the expression “widow” includes a divorced wife.

Part II

A woman may not marry any of the following:

1. Father.
2. Mother’s husband (step-father).
3. Father’s father.
4. Father’s mother’s husband (step grand-father).
5. Father’s father’s father.
6. Father’s father’s mother’s husband (step great grand-father).
7. Father’s mother’s father.
8. Father’s mother’s mother’s husband (step great grand-father).
9. Mother’s father.
10. Mother’s mother’s husband (step grand-father).
11. Mother’s father’s father.
12. Mother’s father’s mother’s husband (step great grand-father).
13. Mother’s mother’s father.
14. Mother’s mother’s mother’s husband (step great grand-father).
15. Son.
16. Daughter’s husband.
17. Son’s son.
18. Son’s daughter’s husband.
19. Daughter’s son.
20. Daughter’s daughter’s husband.
21. Son’s son’s son.
22. Son’s son’s daughter’s husband.
23. Son’s daughter’s son.
24. Son’s daughter’s daughter’s husband.
25. Daughter’s son’s son.
26. Daughter’s son’s daughter’s husband.
27. Daughter’s daughter’s son.
28. Daughter’s daughter’s daughter’s husband.
29. Brother.
30. Brother’s son.
31. Sister’s son.
32. Mother’s brother.
33. Father’s brother.
34. Father’s brother’s son.
35. Father’s sister’s son.
36. Mother’s sister’s son.
37. Mother’s brother’s son.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this Part, the expression “husband” includes a divorced husband.

Note: By Explanation I to section 2(b), “relationship” for the purposes of this Schedule includes relationship by half or uterine blood as well as full blood, illegitimate as well as legitimate blood relationship, and relationship by adoption as well as by blood. Section 4(d), read with its proviso, permits a marriage within these degrees where a custom governing at least one of the parties allows it.