India's Supreme Court can grant divorce in cases of "irretrievable breakdown" without sending the parties to a family court, according to a Constitution bench ruling. The decision, which grants legitimacy to a ground of separation beyond the 1955 Hindu Marriage Act, was made to avoid encouraging matrimonial litigation, which can cause pain and suffering to both parties. The court can invoke its powers under Article 142 to dissolve marriages by mutual consent and set aside criminal proceedings, but a party cannot approach the high court or Supreme Court directly for divorce without first approaching a family court.