J. REVATHY V. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & OTHERS:
W.P. No. 21709 of 2025
Honourable Madras High Court’s Bench: Justice N. Anand Venkatesh
Date: 18.06.2025
The Petitioner challenged the inaction of the Regional Passport Office, wherein her application for the passport was withheld by the authority on the ground that the Petitioner must obtain the signature of her husband in Form-J, i.e., Joint Declaration in Lieu of Marriage Certificate, and only thereafter, the application will be processed. The Hon’ble Court held that the Petitioner does not lose her individuality, and a wife can always apply for a passport without the permission or signature of the husband in any form. The practice of insisting on permission from the husband to apply for a passport does not augur well for a society that is moving towards women’s emancipation. Therefore, a wife doesn’t need to get her husband’s permission and take his signature before applying for a passport before the authority, and further directed that the application submitted by the Petitioner seeking a passport has to be processed independently1.
