Hindu Succession Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide
Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1956
Section 31 of Hindu Succession Act: Repeals
Official Bare Act Text
Override / Mandate Mens Rea (Intent) Actus Reus (Conduct) Punishment Limitation Monetary
[Repealed by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1960 (58 of 1960), s. 2 and the First Schedule.]
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 31
Section 31 formally repealed the pre-existing Hindu Law of Inheritance (Amendment) Act, 1929 and the Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937, completing the legislative consolidation of succession under HSA.
Repeal of 1929 and 1937 Statutes: Formally repealed the Hindu Law of Inheritance (Amendment) Act, 1929 and the Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937.
Consolidation of National Succession Law: Replaced piecemeal pre-independence property amendments with a single, comprehensive national code.
Repeal by Spent Act: Section 31 was formally repealed as spent legislation by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1960 (Act 58 of 1960), while preserving the consolidated statutory framework.
Key Landmark Precedents:
V. Tulasamma v. Sesha Reddy (1977) 3 SCC 99: The Supreme Court analyzed the transition from the limited estate under the 1937 Act repealed by Section 31 to absolute ownership under Section 14 of the 1956 Act.
Satyadhana Ghosal v. Deorajin Debi AIR 1960 SC 941: Affirmed that the repeal of spent repealing sections does not resurrect repealed colonial property acts.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:
In historical title investigations, cite Section 31 to confirm that the limited estate 'Hindu woman's estate' created under the 1937 Act was permanently abolished, maturing into absolute ownership under Section 14 HSA for all successions after 1956.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 31
Section 31 formally repealed the pre-existing Hindu Law of Inheritance (Amendment) Act, 1929 and the Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act, 1937, completing the legislative consolidation of succession under HSA.
In historical title investigations, cite Section 31 to confirm that the limited estate 'Hindu woman's estate' created under the 1937 Act was permanently abolished, maturing into absolute ownership under Section 14 HSA for all successions after 1956.