The Secretary of the Legislative Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives Ali Badr announced Sunday that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi instructed that the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb draft the personal status bill.
During a phone interview with the “Hadith al-Qahira” (Cairo Talk) show on the “al-Qahira wal Nas” (Cairo and the People) channel, Badr stressed the importance of President Sisi’s directives regarding this law.
The committee will start work immediately once the bill is received from the Azhar Sheikhdom, Badr said, pointing out that the president has ordered that this draft law defines that all marriage before the age of 18 is illegal. Badr added that the parliament is working to come up with a balanced law that will bring further stability to the Egyptian family.
He also said that President Sisi emphasized the necessity of hearings and community dialogue to decide on the law and hear all opinions, and stressed that this is a reassuring message for the Egyptian family.
The Egyptian House of Representatives’ Legislative Committee started preparing to discuss the new personal status law last month.
The bill reportedly punishes the arranged marriage of minors with imprisonment and a fine no less than LE50,000.
According to the bill, anyone who participates in the marriage of a child who did not reach eighteen years old at the time of marriage shall be punished with imprisonment for one year and a fine between LE50,000 and not LE200,000.
The registrar of the marriage shall be punished with the same penalty if they fail to comply with the stipulated requirements of an official marriage.
