President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday night signed the ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq.

The ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet Wednesday morning. The government has said the measure was necessary as the practice of talaq-e-biddat was continuing unabated despite the Supreme Court last year striking it down.

Under the ordinance, giving instant triple talaq is illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.