India, June 4 -- Emphasising that courts should not allow parties to remain trapped in "stale and frozen" matrimonial relationships, the Supreme Court has urged the judiciary to bring prolonged marital disputes to a close by granting effective relief where a marriage has irretrievably broken down, observing that such an approach serves not only the interests of the estranged spouses but also those of society at large.

A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih said that keeping dead marriages alive through years of litigation only perpetuates frustration and emotional distress while denying individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives. "It is in the best interest of parties and the society if ties are severed betwe...