Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has approved the new personal status law which is expected to achieve more family stability, and further empower females and promote civil rights, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The new personal status law will be brought into effect 90 days after its publication in the Kingdom’s Official Gazette.
The Saudi Cabinet passed the personal status laws as well as amendments to other legislation related to the protection of women and children.
The personal status law is one of the four laws announced by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in February, which is designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the kingdom’s judicial system – a move that will eventually lead to a fully codified law.
The four laws are— personal status law, the civil transactions law, the penal code of discretionary sanctions and the law of evidence. The personal status law is the first to be adopted out of the four.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the new personal status law is based on the rules and objectives of Islamic law, and in line with the latest international legal practices and adapts to changes in modern life.
The new personal status law will also improve the status of the family and children, and control the judicial authority of judges to reduce disparities in rulings in this regard.
Priority is for the wife and children
All the new laws are now in favor of divorced women who suffer emotionally and financially, such as those who are isolated from theri children ot those who raise children alone without any childcare advances from the father.
The new personal law will help divorced women to become legal guardians of their children, demand alimony rights and child care support.
It also sets out requirements such as the husband’s obligation to provide food, housing, clothing and other necessities for his wife, even if she is wealthy, in accordance with Islamic law.
The law also preserves the bloodline of the offspring, and the regulation of marriage from engagement to divorce and khul’aa (divorce request from the wife).
Girls under the age of 18 cannot be married off, although teenagers have the right to marry someone of their choice without any interference. They can file lawsuits, review their marriage contracts, and clerics cannot marry women without verbal confirmation.
A woman is no longer legally obligated to ask permission to travel, marry. She is given the legal liberty to make personal decisions including over her marraige, and may approach the court over the same.
