OREANDA-NEWS The Supreme Court of India issued a decision overturning the more than 150-year rule of law under which adultery is considered a crime. It happened on Thursday, September, 27.  According to the press, the head of the Supreme Court Deepak Mishra, this article in the Criminal code is recognized as unconstitutional.

"Any law that affects the personal dignity and equality of women in a civilized society, causes dissatisfaction with the Constitution," - quoted Mishra channel NDTV.

The court held that the law infringed on the constitutional rights of women. "Equality is the defining principle of the system. The husband is not the owner of his wife" — added the judge during the verdict.

The law on the recognition of adultery as a crime was part of the code adopted during the British colonial rule 158 years ago.

The code provided for punishment for the man, but not for the woman, who was regarded as the dependent being and "property" of the husband. According to the judges, this "Victorian" rule of law has long been outdated and also humiliates the dignity of women. "A woman can not be considered as movable property," - said Mishra.

As the judges noted in their decision, the voluntary sexual relations of a man with a married woman are not a crime, and that this retrograde rule leads to the punishment of unfortunate people.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of India three times in different years supported the law against adultery. This time, however, the judges felt that since the law treated a woman as subordinate to her husband, it was time for society to realize that a woman was equal to a man in all respects. At the same time, the judges stressed that treason is still a "clear reason" for divorce.

This verdict has already displeased religious parties and movements, as well as a number of representatives of the Central authorities, who believe that such a decision of the Supreme Court "violates the inviolability of marital ties."