Abstract
Abstract Marriage in Lebanon is a matter of religious law, and all attempts at introducing a civil marriage law have failed so far. This Article discusses the absence of a civil marriage law: was the Lebanese system supposed to include a civil marriage law? Is there a real need for it? Why have all legislative interventions failed? What are the alternatives? To answer these questions, we will focus mainly on the 1998 project of a civil Personal status law presented by President Hrawi, being the most complete and advanced attempt so far. The reactions for or against it are most representative of the Lebanese situation. We reach the conclusion that past legislative attempts always failed ‘upstream’, never reaching the Parliament, while contractual alternatives are not a viable option. The introduction of a civil marriage law, despite its necessity, cannot be achieved by mere legal means, but needs a governance-level answer.
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