'Justice': Mandatory 'Rehabilitation Course' for Prospective Couples
Lawyers tell “Al-Siyasa”: Early awareness curbs family disputes and protects children
The course lasts one week, during which both parties participate before the marriage contract is formalized.
It aims to adopt a preventive approach to family problems before they occur.
The Ministry of Justice is moving to introduce a new step preceding the formalization of the marriage contract, through an anticipated amendment to the Personal Status Law that would require prospective spouses to attend a preparatory course lasting one week. This initiative seeks to prepare couples for married life, enhance awareness of rights and obligations, and reduce family disputes before they reach the courts.
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Lawyers told “Al-Siyasa” that pre-marriage awareness represents a crucial preventive step that can help mitigate family conflicts. They emphasized that the course must be practical and realistic, and should not become a mere formal procedure. It should include educating both spouses about their rights, duties, and responsibilities, while giving special attention to the best interests of children and the impact of family disputes on them.
Earlier, Minister of Justice Advisor Nasser Al-Sameet stated in a press comment that this direction is part of the anticipated legal amendments, aimed at raising awareness among prospective spouses, introducing them to the nature of married life and its responsibilities, and reinforcing the sanctity of marriage. This, he noted, would help reduce divorce rates and strengthen family stability.
The proposal reflects a shift toward addressing family issues from a preventive perspective, rather than limiting intervention to resolving conflicts after they arise. It seeks to prepare the husband and wife before the contract for the commitments and responsibilities inherent in shared life.
One Week Before the Contract
According to what the Minister of Justice proposed, the course would last one week and be attended by both the husband and wife. Passing the course would become a condition for finalizing and formalizing the marriage contract, should the anticipated amendments be approved. Consequently, the course would transition from an optional awareness program to a mandatory pre-contractual procedure, aiming to ensure that prospective spouses acquire sufficient knowledge of the nature of family life and its consequences.
Inaam Haider: It Must Not Become a Mere Formality
Lawyer Inaam Haider believes that pre-marriage awareness can play a significant role in reducing family disputes, provided that the course is practical and realistic and does not degenerate into a mere formal step to complete marriage paperwork.
She stressed the importance of spouses learning about their rights and obligations before the contract, as well as the responsibilities arising from marriage toward each other and their children. She also highlighted the need to clarify the legal consequences of separation, including issues of alimony, custody, visitation rights, and housing.
Haider noted that raising the legal and family awareness of both parties could help them handle conflicts more calmly and equip them with better tools to resolve problems before they reach the judiciary.
Al-Wawan: Prevention Is Better Than Treating Disputes
For his part, lawyer Jaraah Mubarak Al-Wawan emphasized that reforming the Personal Status system should not be limited to resolving disputes after they occur, but must extend to prevention and awareness.
He considered that mandating prospective spouses to attend a specialized course could be a positive step if it addresses the real challenges facing families and informs both parties about the responsibilities and legal consequences of marriage and divorce.
He pointed out that the goal should be to build more aware families better equipped to handle conflicts, thereby reducing the number of disputes reaching the courts or mitigating their impact when they do occur.
Al-Qattan: The Best Interests of Children Begin Before Marriage
For his part, lawyer Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan believes that family protection and the best interests of the child must be at the forefront of any amendments to the Personal Status Law. He emphasized that the responsibility of spouses does not begin with the birth of children, but rather from the moment they decide to marry. Therefore, providing them with prior awareness of their rights, duties, and responsibilities could contribute to creating a more stable family environment.
He stressed the importance of educating those about to marry about the impact of marital disputes on children, particularly since many conflicts arise between spouses, while children are among the most affected parties.
Prevention Before Courts
The significance of the proposal lies in shifting part of the focus from resolving disputes after they occur to attempting to prevent their causes early on, especially since a lack of knowledge about rights and obligations, or the nature of responsibilities imposed by shared life, may contribute to some family conflicts.
From this perspective, the course serves as a preventive tool aimed at giving spouses a more realistic picture of marriage and its responsibilities, and fostering dialogue and understanding before resorting to family rehabilitation centers or the judiciary.
The anticipated approach opens up legal and societal debate regarding the effectiveness of linking the registration of marriage contracts to the completion of a preparatory course, particularly since the proposal makes awareness-raising part of the pre-contractual procedures.
A preparatory course cannot absolutely prevent disputes or divorce, but the hope placed in it lies in raising awareness of marital responsibilities and enhancing both parties’ ability to handle conflicts before they escalate to the courts.
Thus, the proposed amendment introduces a shift in the approach to family cases, beginning with awareness before marriage, prevention before conflict, and the protection of families and children before reaching the courts.
