THE
(Act XXIX of 2016)
C O N T E N T S
Section Heading
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Prohibition of ostentatious celebrations.
4. Restriction on edibles.
5. Obligation of hotels, restaurants, etc.
6. Closing of marriage functions.
7. Committees.
8. Offence.
9. Cognizance of offence.
10. Disposal of food and other edibles.
11. Rules.
12. Repeal.
[1]THE
(Act XXIX of 2016)
[20 April 2016]
An Act to regulate marriage functions and other
related ceremonies.
It is expedient to
provide for regulation of marriage functions and other related ceremonies and
to make incidental provisions.
Be it enacted by Provincial
Assembly of the
1. Short title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act may be cited as the
Punjab Marriage Functions Act 2016.
(2) It extends to
whole of the
(3) It shall come
into force at once.
(a) “committee” means a committee constituted
under the Act;
(b) “Government”
means Government of the
(c) “marriage” includes a ceremony, preceding and succeeding the
formal wedding, whether religious or social rituals such as mayun,
mehndi (rasm-e-hina), barat, nikah, rukhsati
or walima;
(d) “one dish” means one salan,
one rice dish, one salad, hot and cold drinks, roti, nan and one sweet dish;
(e) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules
made under the Act; and
(f) “public place” means a club, hotel, restaurant, wedding hall,
community center, community park, an open space or any private property hired
for a marriage.
3. Prohibition
of ostentatious celebrations.– A
person celebrating his marriage or organizing the marriage of any other person
shall not:
(a)
decorate or cause to
be decorated any street, road or public park or any place other than the
building, where marriage ceremony is being held, with lights or illumination;
(b)
explode or allow
anyone to explode cracker or other explosive device including firing by
firearms;
(c)
display or allow
anyone to display fireworks;
(d)
display
or allow any person to display dowry to the public eye; and
(e)
cause or
allow any person to cause nuisance or disturbance to the neighbourhood
beyond reasonable celebrations.
4. Restriction on edibles.– A person celebrating his marriage or
organizing the marriage of any other person at a public place shall not serve
or allow anyone to serve meals or other edibles except one dish to the persons
participating in the marriage.
5. Obligation
of hotels, restaurants, etc.– A person owning, managing or running a public place, being
the site of marriage, or a caterer shall not serve or allow anyone to serve
meals or other edibles to the persons participating in the marriage except as
provided in section 4 of the Act.
6. Closing
of marriage functions.– A person owning, managing or running a
public place, being the site of a marriage, shall ensure conclusion of all
ceremonies relating to the marriage on or before 10:00 pm.
7. Committees.– (1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, constitute one or more committees for the enforcement of the provisions of the Act.
(2) The committee
constituted under subsection (1) shall perform such
functions in such manner as may be prescribed.
8. Offence.– If a person
contravenes the provisions of sections 3, 4, 5 or 6, he shall be guilty of an
offence punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one
month and fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees or more than
two million rupees.
9. Cognizance
of offence.– (1) Subject to this section, an offence under this Act
shall be bailable and cognizable on a complaint by an
officer notified by the Government.
(2) A magistrate of
the first class shall summarily try an offence under this Act in accordance
with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V
of 1898) on the report of the officer notified by the Government.
(3) The Police shall
associate the officer notified by the Government while entering a public place
where marriage is being held for taking cognizance of an offence under this Act
on a complaint of the notified officer.
10. Disposal
of food and other edibles.– The food and other edibles procured, prepared, arranged or
set for serving to the extent of
contravention of this Act shall be
forfeited and disposed of in such manner as may be prescribed.
11. Rules.– The
Government may, by notification, make rules for carrying out the purposes of
this Act.
12. Repeal.– The Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays
and Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance 2000 (II of 2000), in its application to the
Province of the
[1]This Act was passed by the Punjab
Assembly on 14 April 2016; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 19
April 2016; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 20
April 2016, pages 4671-73.