Iraqi Parliament approves controversial amendments to Personal Status Law
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi parliament approved three draft laws: the General Amnesty Law, the Return of Property to Owners Law, and amendments to the Personal Status Law.
The amendments to the Personal Status Law grant Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Activists argue these changes undermine Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.
Currently, Iraqi law sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 in most cases. However, the amendments passed on Tuesday allow clerics to interpret Islamic law, potentially permitting the marriage of girls in their early teens — or as young as 9 under the Ja’fari School of Islamic Law followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq.
Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and member of the Iraqi Women’s Association, warned that these amendments will have disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls. She cited concerns over early child marriages, violations of children’s rights, and the erosion of legal protections for women in divorce, custody, and inheritance.