Temporary Civil Marriage? Lebanese MP Proposes 5-Year Renewable Contract

Lebanese MP Elias Jradi recently proposed a draft law that would introduce a unified civil personal status law in Lebanon, one that includes the option of a renewable five-year marriage contract.

According to the draft, the marriage would automatically enter a three-month separation period at the end of the term, after which the couple can decide whether to continue the marriage or go their separate ways.

His proposal, which aired during an interview on Al Jadeed, drew sharp criticism online, with many accusing it of undermining the traditional idea of marriage and turning it into a legal arrangement with an expiration date. Some argued it “empties marriage of its substance” and weakens long-term commitment.

Here are some of the reactions to this proposal:

In an interview with Al Jadeed, Jradi pushed back against the backlash, clarifying that a time-limited contract doesn’t mean the marriage must end:

“We’ve placed a specific duration for the marriage, this doesn’t mean it ends. On the contrary, if both partners still want the marriage, it continues. Sometimes, the marital relationship becomes coercive… It’s no longer psychologically or familially healthy. Why should relationships persist amid conflict? It becomes psychological torture for the couple, the family, and the children living in domestic hell.”

He emphasized that the proposal aims to abolish sectarian personal status laws in Lebanon and replace them with a civil legal framework that gives future generations more freedom and protection:

“I have two daughters. My biggest concern is protecting them. I believe this kind of law will protect them from being trapped by psychological, social, religious, or unconscious pressure.”

What do you think of this proposal? Are you for or against this temporary civil marriage?

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