Government Acts

During this period, laws were enacted by the Imperial Legislative Council or the British government to regulate legal practice, commerce, and personal laws.

• The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872: Governs the legal marriage of Indian Christians and applies throughout India, requiring at least one party to be Christian.
• Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881: Originally drafted in 1866, it governs the usage of transferable documents like promissory notes, bills of exchange, and cheques.
• Transfer of Property Act, 1882: Regulates the act by which a person conveys property to others, classified broadly into movable and immovable property.
• Code of Civil Procedure, 1908: A procedural law related to the administration of civil proceedings, replacing earlier codes from 1859, 1877, and 1882.
• Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934: The legislation under which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was formed to provide a framework for supervising banking firms.
• Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936: Specifically regulates the recognition, solemnization, and dissolution of marriages within the Parsi community.
• Industrial Disputes Act, 1947: Enacted by the Central Legislative Assembly just before independence, it regulated labour law concerning trade unions and individual workmen.