Judicial Council Approves Succariyeh and Darwish's Civil Marriage, Charbel Says Will Not Sign It

The Lebanese Supreme Council in the Ministry of Justice took an unanimous decision on Monday to consider legal all civil marriages conducted in Lebanon by people that do not have any religious affiliation.

The council's decision hence contradicted with the Legislation and Counseling Committee at the ministry that rejected to legalize the civil marriage of Kholoud Succariyeh and Nidal Darwish, a Lebanese couple that wed by having their religious sects legally struck from their family registers under an article dating from the 1936 French mandate.

"I will not sign any decision that can be vetoed,” Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stated on Tuesday in an interview with An Nahar daily newspaper, explaining that he needs to consult legal experts in this issue as “no articles in the constitution deal with similar cases”.

Charbel noted: “The council's decision is not binding”.

The complete legalization of the marriage requires, however, that Charbel signs it and registers in at the Ministry of Interior.

President Michel Suleiman saluted on Tuesday the council's members on their decision to approve the civil union of Succariyeh and Darwish.

"This is a step forward towards establishing a modern civil state in Lebanon,” Suleiman expressed.

Since Succariyeh and Darwish's union, Suleiman has lobbied for a civil marriage law as a "very important step in eradicating sectarianism and solidifying national unity."

Despite a long-running campaign by civil groups, civil marriage has no legal basis in Lebanon.

Former president Elias Hrawi in 1998 proposed a similar law, which gained approval from the cabinet only to be halted amid widespread opposition from the country’s religious authorities.

Lebanese authorities recognize civil weddings only if they have been registered abroad, and thousands of mixed-faith couples have traveled to nearby Cyprus or Turkey to marry.