Bride has exclusive ownership of wedding gifts, jewellery: Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has ruled that all jewellery and gifts received by a bride at the time of marriage are her exclusive property, regardless of whether they were given by her parents or her in-laws, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.

In a written judgment, the apex court held that bridal jewellery, gifts and other belongings presented to a woman at the time of her marriage legally belong solely to her, and neither her husband nor his family can claim ownership over them.

The court further clarified that Family Courts have the legal jurisdiction to hear and decide disputes involving the recovery of a woman’s jewellery, bridal gifts and other personal belongings.

The ruling was issued by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, with the judgment authored by Justice Shakeel Ahmed.

The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by the husband’s family seeking the return of the jewellery, reaffirming that a woman is entitled to approach a Family Court to recover her gold jewellery and personal property from her husband or in-laws.

The court held that family courts are legally empowered to settle such claims in accordance with the law, reinforcing the legal protection of a bride’s ownership rights over gifts and jewellery received at the time of marriage.