Iraq parliament adopts revised bill after outcry over underage marriage

The complaint of the activist Intisar al-Mayali: “The law will have disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls.”

Iraqi parliament passes controversial law package

The Iraqi parliament controversially passed three laws as a package on Tuesday: the amended personal status law, a general amnesty law, and the repeal of Ba'athist decisions on Kurdish land in disputed areas. Kurdish lawmakers, under political pressure, voted for the package despite opposing the personal status law and the amnesty law.  Click here for the full story in Kurdish.

Progress: Now Nine-Year-Old Girls Can Be Legally Married in Iraq

Critics say new law in Iraq could legalize child marriage

Iraq’s parliament added controversial amendments to one of the country's laws on Tuesday, Jan. 22, which critics say will effectively make child marriage legal. The amendments give Islamic courts more authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance. Critics say it undermines Iraq’s 1959 personal status law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women. Right now, the minimum age of marriage in Iraq is …

Iraq passes law critics say could legalize child marriage

Shiite lawmakers have pass amendments that may lower the legal marriageable age from 18.

On January 21, the Iraqi Parliament adopted amendments that, according to human rights activists, actually legalize child marriages in the country. This is reported by the Associated Press.