Lebanese law now condones crossing confession from the civil registry and civil marriage conducted on Lebanese soil

As-Safir newspaper published, last week, a report focusing on both issues of crossing the confession from the civil registers, contracting and registering civil marriages in Lebanon.  This report came after the conclusion of a six month process during which the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities studied six civil marriage files resulting in their registration in the civil registers.  With this, twelve cases of civil marriages contracted in Lebanon would have been processed successfully.
As Safir also refers to a number of cases in which Lebanese citizens faced difficulties after choosing to cross the reference to their confession from their civil register. Difficulties were particularly encountered when applying for jobs, registering civil or religious marriages as well as divorce and inheritance.  All cases talk of the frustrations they have felt and the inflexibility of many a civil servant.
Within this framework, public notary Joseph Beshara noted that there are no longer any real obstacles facing any couple as the solution is in the law and judges enjoy the flexibility of interpreting the law.  He also added that the Constitution as well as International Convention have precedence over local laws and they safeguard the principle of equality as well as the right of children.  Lawyer Nayla Geagea noted for her part that the struggle for civil marriage as an alternative for all Lebanese is far from over, however, there are now laws and decisions which will challenge any civil servant who decides to be an obstacle in such cases.  She added that the cases picked up by the media, in case of employment or registration of civil marriage, all have legal solutions.  Lawyer Bassel Abdallah of the Civil Society Movement noted that things are moving in the right direction and that obstacles are being removed in terms of registering civil marriage, employment and even in terms of inheritance eventhough he believes, that the campaign to cross the confession should have required more efforts.
Activists who celebrated last week the official registration of civil marriage do not know for sure how many citizens actually scrapped their confession from their civil register.  However, according to LUDY activist, Arabi Andary, some 2000 individuals have taken this step since the start of the campaign.  He also noted, as per Geagea, that the law protects all those who take this step.
Source: Al-Safir 17 February 2014