Uganda's Supreme Court ruled, Thursday, that refunding of goods paid to a bride’s family after divorce was illegal, sparking celebration by rights groups who said women would no longer be "chained in violent relationships”.

In Uganda, as in many nations, the custom of the groom or his family paying a sum of money or property – known as a "bride price” – to the parents of the bride upon a marriage has a long tradition.

Bride price is payment made from the groom’s family to the bride’s – the opposite of dowries paid in some countries, where the bride hands goods over to the man.

The Supreme Court ruled that refunding it upon dissolution of a customary marriage was unconstitutional, after local women’s rights group Mifumi launched an appeal following an earlier court decision, arguing the practice contributed to domestic violence.

"Refunding compromises the dignity of the woman,” Chief Justice Bart Katureebe said, according to a local daily, adding that paying a dowry back implied a woman was in a marriage as though on "loan”.

Mifumi said the decision was a "landmark in the history of Uganda” that meant women were "now free to walk out of an abusive relationship without fear”.