Iraq - February 2025

On 13 February, the President ratified amendments to the Personal Status Law (PSL). The amendments, passed by parliament on 21 January, allow Shiite Iraqis to decide whether their marriage and family matters are governed by the secular PSL or religious law. Other religious sects will remain under secular law only. As a result, the amendments create a system where family law protections may vary by sect affiliation and personal choice. The new PSL provisions require Shia religious law to set the minimum age of marriage at 18 but to also permit marriage at 15 in certain circumstances. In divorce proceedings where there is disagreement as to whether secular or religious law is to be applied, the amendments state that the husband’s preference prevails. The Shiite Endowment Office, the relevant religious authority, now has four months to draft the accompanying religious law, which must then be approved by parliament.

Sources: Official Gazette of Iraq, Parliament of Iraq, Iraqi News Agency, The National, International IDEA