Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – Amendment of Personal Status Law was overwhelmingly approved by members of Peoples’ Assembly as modification included more than 60 articles of the Law whose issuance dates back in 1950.
Justice Minister Hisham al-Shaar said that according to the modified Law each of the spouses can include his/her own terms in the marriage contract, which does not contradict Sharia or law- examples of terms can be a second marriage, travel, rejection of residing with a second wife and children of a daughter have the right of will similar to children of a son.
The modifications allow spouses to have the right of separation when there are compelling reasons . A guardian cannot marry his daughter off to someone without her overt consent even if he has a power of attorney by her. Age of marriage was raised to 18 after it was 17. Guardianship of underage children goes to the wife following her husband. Custody goes to the father after the mother and then to the maternal grandmother after it used to go directly to the maternal grandmother.
If a husband abandons his wife she could ask for divorce. A conditioned divorce is considered a rescission contract not a divorce.
Several parliamentarians saw that the amendment of the Personal Law is a positive step on the course of giving women their rights and achieving gender equality.
Rasha Milhem
