Kazis Act, 1880

The Kazis Act, 1880 is a short, old law dealing with the government appointment of Kazis — officials traditionally present at Muslim marriages and certain religious ceremonies. It followed an earlier 1864 law that had abolished government-appointed Kazi offices; this Act restored a limited version of that role because, as the preamble explains, many Muslim communities still expected a government-appointed Kazi to be present at weddings and related rites.

Section 2 lets the Provincial Government appoint one or more Kazis for a local area, but only where a considerable number of local Muslim residents want this and after the Government consults leading Muslim residents there. The Provincial Government's decision on whether someone was validly appointed Kazi is final. It may also suspend or remove a Kazi for misconduct, six months' continuous absence from the area, moving away, insolvency, requesting discharge, refusal to serve, or being found personally unfit.

Section 3 allows an appointed Kazi to appoint one or more Naib Kazis (deputies) to act in his place, and to suspend or remove them; if the Kazi himself is suspended or removed, his Naibs are automatically suspended or removed too.

Section 4 is an important limiting clause: nothing in the Act gives a Kazi or Naib Kazi any judicial or administrative power, makes a Kazi's presence legally necessary for a marriage or ceremony to be valid, or stops anyone else from performing the functions a Kazi typically performs. In other words, the Act creates an honorary, government-recognised role rather than a legal requirement. This is a very old law (1880) with numerous historical amendments, and it has been repealed for Islamabad Capital Territory; current applicability should be verified locally.