As Iraq considers controversial proposed amendment, court confirms constitutional right to manage personal matters based on faith

Iraq’s federal supreme court reaffirmed on Tuesday that the constitution grants citizens the right to manage personal status matters based on their religion, sect, beliefs, or choices, amid proposed parliamentary amendments to the Personal Status Law. A bill to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law is currently on the Iraqi parliament’s agenda. If passed, it would allow Iraqis to choose to follow religious rules to govern matters in their marriage. For Shiites, the proposed bill specifies following the provisions of the Jaafari school of jurisprudence, which permits marriage for girls as young as nine and boys at fifteen. Iraq’s federal supreme court released an interpretation of Article 41 of 2005 of the country’s constitution on Tuesday at the request of Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi. The interpretation confirmed that the constitution grants individuals the freedom to manage their personal status - such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance - according to their faith.
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