Cabinet Approves Draft Decree-Law Amending Provisions of the Notarization Law

Kuwait City, 6 Oct (KUNA) -- The Cabinet, in its meeting today chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, approved a draft law decree amending certain provisions of Law No. 10 of 2020 on Notarization, aiming to simplify procedures, develop electronic integration among competent authorities, and enhance official records and documents while preserving existing legal statuses.

In a statement following the meeting, the Cabinet clarified that the draft law decree seeks to organize and develop notarization procedures at the Notarization Department of the Ministry of Justice through two main pathways. The first involves abolishing the government notary’s authority to notarize corporate documents and transferring it to the Commercial Register Unit at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, while regulating coordination and record exchange between the two entities.

The second pathway pertains to notarizing personal status matters, including marriage, various types of divorce, reconciliation (ruju’), and related prerequisites such as pre-marriage qualification and pre-divorce reconciliation attempts, while regulating remote electronic notarization.

The draft law decree aims to protect family rights by mandating the notarization of marriage facts, various types of divorce, and reconciliation, linking them to pre-marriage qualification and reconciliation attempts, keeping pace with technology by establishing remote electronic notarization, and linking judicial records.

It further stipulates that a marriage contract shall not be notarized unless both parties have completed the Pre-Marriage Qualification Program. A decision by the Minister of Justice will specify the program’s curriculum, duration, completion requirements, and the implementing entity.

The Cabinet has forwarded the draft law decree to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect and support him. (End) A.M.H.