Egypt's new Christian Family Law amendments address long-standing issues

Egypt is preparing to introduce significant amendments to its Christian Family Law, a legislative effort anticipated by millions of Christians for approximately 48 years. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has directed the government to expedite the submission of these draft laws, which also include Muslim Family Law and a Family Support Fund, to Parliament. Counselor Youssef Talaat, legal advisor to the Evangelical Church in Egypt, noted that the new Christian Family Law, signed by six major churches and transferred to the Ministry of Justice, aims to unify personal status matters within a civil legal framework, moving away from fluctuating church regulations. Key changes include making engagement a legally binding and officially documented contract that stipulates dowry and requires public announcement within the church for a month before marriage. The marriage document will now include a contractual annex for spousal conditions, with breaches serving as grounds for divorce or compensation. The law also addresses divorce, recognizing general rules applicable to all churches alongside specific provisions tailored to individual church doctrines. While some churches opt for physical separation over divorce, the draft law maintains adultery as the primary ground for divorce, broadening its definition within the Evangelical community to include all forms of marital infidelity. It categorizes the termination of marital relationships into annulment, dissolution, and divorce. Notably,