US EditionIraq parliament adopts revised bill after outcry over underage marriage
- Iraq's parliament passed amendments to the personal status law that may allow child marriage, with clerics ruling on family matters according to Islamic law, which could lower the marriage age to as young as 9 under the Jaafari school of Islamic law.
- The session ended in chaos, with accusations of procedural violations and half of the lawmakers present not voting, breaking the legal quorum, according to an anonymous parliamentary official.
- Protesters have gathered in Baghdad against the proposed law, arguing it undermines Iraq's 1959 personal status law, which established safeguards for women.
- Advocates for children's rights have condemned the amendments, calling it a horrifying assault on children's rights and human dignity, while proponents argue it aligns Iraqi law with Islamic principles.
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89 Articles
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.
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 …
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.
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