REPORT: Jurists approve civil marriage contracts to be signed in Lebanon

Justice Minister Shakib Kortbawi referred a copy of the decision of the Supreme Council's advisory judicial body regarding the legalization of civil marriage contracts in Lebanon.

On Monday February 11th, the advisory body issued a decision that stipulated the following:

1- Each Lebanese citizen that has omitted his religious affiliation from his civil status can sign a civil marriage contract in Lebanon

2- The notary is the competent authority to conclude the contract and approve it

3- The couple have the free will to choose any civil marriage law of any country according to which they can regulate their marital affairs

4- There is no legal hindrance to register the contract of Kholoud Succarieh and Nidal Darwiche in the personal status records

In this context, President Michel Sleiman contacted the advisory body and congratulated them on their decision, stressing that the union of Succarieh and Darwiche is the first step in building a modern civil state.

For his part, Justice Minister Shakib Kortbawi told LBCI that the ministry will follow the decision of the advisory body, expressing hope that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel will approve the decision so that signing a civil marriage contract would become optional in Lebanon.

Nidal and Kholoud had deleted mention of their religious identity from their civil registration document in hopes of making their union official awaiting the Interior Ministry’s formal recognition of their marriage document.

Religious authorities are split on the issue, officially recognizing 18 different sects in the country.

The hardest opposition to civil marriage has come from the country’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rachid Qabbani, with the Sunni preacher issuing an edict, or fatwa, on the matter warning Muslim politicians and ministers not to support introducing civil weddings.