Iraq MPs to debate revised bill after outcry over underage marriage

BAGHDAD: Iraq's parliament postponed until Monday a vote on controversial legal amendments, including a reworked family law bill that had sparked civil outrage over fears of a resurgence in underage marriages.

A session devoted to the legislation scheduled for Sunday did not go ahead and would now be held the following day, parliament's communications department said.

The proposed amendments would let people choose between religious or state regulations for family matters, such as marriage, inheritance, divorce and child custody.

Critics fear the move could erode protections for Muslim women by lowering the legal age for marriage — currently set at 18, or 15 with the consent of legal guardians and a judge — and pave the way for the adoption of law that could allow girls as young as nine years old to marry.

A revised version of the bill sets the minimum age at 15 with court approval and retains "current conditions", according to MP Raed al-Maliki, who backs the new proposals.

If passed, clerics and lawyers would have four months to establish community-specific regulations. 

Parliament would then vote again to finalise the changes.

The draft law has already undergone two readings, with votes previously delayed.

An earlier version faced a backlash from feminists and civil society groups.

In October, Amnesty International warned the amendments could legalise unregistered marriages — often used to bypass child marriage bans — and strip protections for divorced women.

The London-based rights group also voiced concerns that the amendments would strip women and girls of protections regarding divorce and inheritance.

The postponed parliamentary session had also been scheduled to include a vote on a general amnesty law.

Excluded from the amnesty are convictions for around 20 offences, including "terrorism", rape, incest, human trafficking and kidnapping, according to Maliki.

For instance, the amnesty, which covers the period from 2016 to 2024, could apply to drug users but not to traffickers, Maliki said.

Cases based on evidence from "secret informants" may qualify for retrial.

A previous 2016 amnesty reportedly covered 150,000 people.