Dowry entered the courtroom in a historic Lahore divorce case

During a divorce settlement dispute, a family court in Lahore ordered dowry items to be brought into the courtroom for inspection for the first time in legal history.

Judge Rukhsana Ameen of the Family Court heard the case after a woman called Gul Zaib submitted a petition claiming that even though her ex-husband had consented to their separation, he had not returned her dowry.

The woman refused to accept the dowry items, alleging that many of them were damaged, even after the court first sent a bailiff to retrieve them. Judge Rukhsana Ameen then ordered the products to be brought to the courtroom for judicial inspection.

Before being presented in court, a number of objects seemed to have been swapped out during the proceedings. The judge ordered a thorough inspection, opening and inspecting each dowry item individually. In the courtroom, objects that were deemed to be in useable shape were given to the woman, while items that were damaged or useless were given back to the ex-husband.

The judge ordered that the woman be compensated for the cost of any dowry goods that were damaged. The court further stated that even though the couple’s divorce was finalised, legal action had been taken since the dowry had not been returned.

The court ordered monetary compensation for any damages and made sure the woman received her lawful possessions after the inspection. The case, which highlights judicial attempts to enhance transparency and fairness in dowry-related disputes, has garnered public attention as a unique legal precedent.