Goa Civil Code
Also called: Portuguese Civil Code of 1867 · Topic: Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Goa Civil Code is a family law that comes from the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867. Goa kept it after it was freed from Portuguese rule in 1961. It gives largely the same rules on marriage, property and succession (who inherits what) to all communities in Goa, with some exceptions. It is often cited in the debate on a uniform civil code under Article 44, because it shows that a common family law can work in India.
Example
In Jose Paulo Coutinho (2019), the Supreme Court called Goa a "shining example" of a state with a uniform civil code.
Don't confuse with
- Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act 2024: it is the first state UCC made after independence and has been in force since 27 January 2025. Goa's code is a much older law it inherited from Portuguese rule.
Related concepts
- Uniform civil code
- Hindu Code Bill
- Special Marriage Act 1954
- Shah Bano case
- Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986
- Sarla Mudgal case
- Shayara Bano case
- Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019
- Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act 2024