Under Section 9(1) of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Marriage Officer has powers vested in:

Section 9(1) gives the Marriage Officer, for an inquiry under s. 8, "all the powers vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, when trying a suit" in respect of the listed matters. The powers are those of a civil court, not of a criminal, revenue or Family Court.