Adultery no longer a criminal offence in India: Here's a look at where other countries stand

New Delhi, Sep 27: The Supreme Court has struck down adultery as a criminal offence, ruling that the 19-century law that "treats a husband as the master', is unconstitutional. "Adultery is arbitrary and it offends the dignity of a woman," Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, who led the five-judge bench said.

Here is a look at where other countries stand:

1. The Philippines is one among the Asian countries where the practice of adultery and concubinage is a crime.
2. In China, adultery is not regarded as a crime but can be a ground for divorce.
3. South Korea, in 2015, was the latest country that decriminalised adultery.
4. In Pakistan, adultery is a crime under the Hudood Ordinance, promulgated in 1979.
5. Japan adultery is no longer a crime.

What did the adultery law say?

The law dictated that the woman could not be punished as an abettor. Instead, the man was considered to be a seducer. It also did not allow women to file a complaint against an adulterous husband. A man accused of adultery could be sent to a prison for a maximum of five years, made to pay a fine, or both.