Husbands hiding second marriage in Egypt can now go to jail

CAIRO: A new law has been passed against the husband in Egypt for hiding his marriage and not informing his current or future wife about it.

According to Arab media, the draft law of the 58th constitutional amendment has been presented by the government in which the husband should mention his marital status in the marriage certificate.

If he is married, he must indicate that declaration in the certificate, writing the name of his wife/wives and her/their place of residence. He must also inform his wife/wives of the new marriage via a registered letter.

According to the draft, the consent of the first wife is compulsory and on keeping it a secret, the husbands can face one year of imprisonment can be fined from Rs 2 to 5 lakh.

In some cases, men who marry without permission can be sentenced to both imprisonment and a fine. The new law also gives the first wife the legal right to divorce her husband.

The new bill sets the minimum age for marriage for a boy and a girl at 18 years. Getting married under the age of 18 is punishable by one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2.5 million. Moreover, according to Arab media, the draft law of the 58th constitutional amendment has been presented by the government.