acts/act-print-171.json

{
  "act_title": "The Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937",
  "act_no": "XVIII",
  "act_year": "1937",
  "publication_date": "19/07/2025",
  "sections": [
    {
      "section_content": "1. (1) This Act may be called theHindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937.(2) \tIt extends to the whole of1[Bangladesh]."
    },
    {
      "section_content": "2. Notwithstanding any rule of Hindu Law or custom to the contrary, the provisions of section 3 shall apply where a Hindu dies intestate leaving a widow."
    },
    {
      "section_content": "3. (1) When a Hindu governed by the Dayabhag School of Hindu Law dies intestate leaving any property, and when a Hindu governed by any other school of Hindu Law or by customary law dies intestate leaving separate property, his widow, or if there is more than one widow all his widows together, shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), be entitled in respect of property in respect of which he dies intestate to the same share as a son:Provided that the widow of a predeceased son shall inherit in like manner as a son if there is no son surviving of such predeceased son, and shall inherit in like manner as a son's son if there is surviving a son or son's son of such predeceased son:Provided further that the same provision shall apply mutatis mutandis to the widow of a predeceased son of a predeceased son.(2) \tWhen a Hindu governed by any school of Hindu Law other than the Dayabhag School or by customary law dies having at the time of his death an interest in a Hindu joint family property, his widow shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), have in the property the same interest as he himself had.(3) \tAny interest devolving on a Hindu widow under the provisions of this section shall be the limited interest known as a Hindu Woman's estate, provided however that she shall have the same right of claiming partition as a male owner.(4) \tThe provisions of this section shall not apply to an estate which by a customary or other rule of succession or by the terms of the grant applicable thereto descends to a single heir or to any property to which theSuccession Act, 1925, applies."
    },
    {
      "section_content": "4. Nothing in this Act shall apply to the property of any Hindu dying intestate before the commencement of this Act."
    },
    {
      "section_content": "5. For the purposes of this Act, a person shall be deemed to die intestate in respect of all property of which he has not made a testamentary disposition which is capable of taking effect."
    }
  ],
  "footnotes": [
    {
      "footnote_text": "1The word “Bangladesh” was substituted for the word “Pakistan” by section 3 and the Second Schedule of theBangladesh Laws (Revision And Declaration) Act, 1973(Act No. VIII of 1973)"
    }
  ],
  "copyright_info": {
    "copyright_text": "Copyright©2019, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs DivisionMinistry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs"
  },
  "source_url": "http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-print-171.html",
  "fetch_timestamp": "2025-07-19 02:09:12",
  "csv_metadata": {
    "act_title_from_csv": "The Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937",
    "act_no_from_csv": "XVIII",
    "act_year_from_csv": "1937",
    "is_repealed": false
  },
  "token_count": 585,
  "language": "english",
  "government_context": {
    "govt_system": "British Colonial Rule",
    "position_head_govt": "Governor of Bengal",
    "head_govt_name": "Lord Brabourne (Michael Knatchbull)",
    "head_govt_designation": "Governor of Bengal Province",
    "how_got_power": "British Crown appointment",
    "period_years": "1937-1939",
    "years_in_power": 2
  },
  "processing_info": {
    "processed_timestamp": "2025-07-19 19:33:20",
    "enhanced_with_reducer": true,
    "enhanced_with_govt_context": true,
    "language_detected": "english",
    "token_count": 441,
    "legal_context_added": true,
    "legal_context_timestamp": "2025-07-19 20:26:26",
    "year_standardized": true,
    "year_standardization_timestamp": "2025-07-19 20:35:59",
    "token_count_updated": true,
    "token_count_update_timestamp": "2025-07-19 20:56:08",
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  },
  "legal_system_context": {
    "period_info": {
      "period_name": "British Crown Rule",
      "year_range": "1858-1947",
      "act_year": 1937
    },
    "legal_framework": {
      "primary_laws": [
        "Government of India Act 1858",
        "Indian Penal Code 1860",
        "Code of Civil Procedure 1908",
        "Evidence Act 1872"
      ],
      "court_system": [
        "High Courts (1861)",
        "District Courts",
        "Magistrate Courts"
      ],
      "legal_basis": "Codified British-Indian legal system",
      "enforcement_mechanism": "Imperial Police Service and civil courts"
    },
    "government_system": {
      "type": "Crown Colony Administration",
      "structure": "Viceroy and provincial governors",
      "revenue_collection": "Imperial taxation system",
      "administrative_units": [
        "Provinces",
        "Districts",
        "Sub-districts"
      ]
    },
    "policing_system": {
      "law_enforcement": "Police Act 1861 - structured police force",
      "military_police": "Imperial Police Service",
      "jurisdiction": "Provincial police under colonial control"
    },
    "land_relations": {
      "tenure_system": "Zamindari, Ryotwari, and Mahalwari systems",
      "property_rights": "Colonial property law framework",
      "revenue_system": "Land revenue administration",
      "peasant_status": "Various tenant classes with limited rights"
    },
    "key_characteristics": [
      "Codification of laws (Penal Code, CPC, Evidence Act)",
      "Structured civil service system",
      "Constitutional developments (1909, 1919, 1935 Acts)",
      "Bengal Tenancy Act 1885 and amendments",
      "Emergency powers and martial law provisions"
    ],
    "context_added_timestamp": "2025-07-19 20:26:26"
  }
}