Family Court jurisdiction over adoption matters failed where no statutory power existed, making the adoption order a nullity.

The Family Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain a petition for regularisation of adoption under Hindu law because adoption is not among the matters expressly covered by Section 7 of the Family Courts Act, 1984, and no separate enactment had conferred such power on that court. An order made without jurisdiction is a nullity, and the High Court could interfere in supervisory jurisdiction where a subordinate court usurps authority not vested in it. The impugned order regularising the adoption was therefore set aside.

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Issues: Whether the Family Court had jurisdiction to entertain and decide a petition seeking regularisation of adoption under the Hindu law framework.

Analysis: Section 7 of the Family Courts Act, 1984 confers jurisdiction only over the matters expressly enumerated in the Explanation and over such other matters as may be conferred by any other enactment. Adoption is not included within the listed categories, which are essentially matrimonial, maintenance, legitimacy, guardianship and allied family disputes. The record also showed that no specific jurisdiction had been conferred on the Family Court, Coimbatore to decide matters relating to adoption. An order passed without jurisdiction is a nullity, and the High Court may interfere in supervisory jurisdiction where a subordinate court has usurped powers not vested in it.

Conclusion: The Family Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the adoption matter, and the impugned order was liable to be set aside in favour of the petitioner.

Final Conclusion: The revision was allowed and the order of the Family Court granting regularisation of adoption was set aside for want of jurisdiction.

Ratio Decidendi: A Family Court can exercise only those powers specifically conferred by Section 7 of the Family Courts Act, 1984, and adoption matters not falling within that jurisdiction must be decided by the competent civil court; an order passed without such jurisdiction is a nullity and can be corrected in supervisory jurisdiction.

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