Constitutional Court rejects appeals against Nationality Law amidst rejoice of Foreign Ministry

The Constitutional Court rejected yesterday the appeal filed by the ‘Democratic Gathering’ bloc related to reinstatement of nationality to Lebanese emigrants and which was passed by the Parliament on November 12, 2015. (for full news: http://www.lkdg.org/ar/node/14340). Meanwhile, Parliamentary Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) sources preferred not to comment until after issuance of an official statement by the Party. On the same note,  Deputy House Speaker, Farid Makari, expressed to Al Akhbar his regret over the repeal and preferred to wait for what the Court has to say. On the other hand, Foreign Ministry and the Association of the Maronite Council welcomed in a statement the Council’s rejection of the appeal. The statement expressed their satisfaction towards CC’s decision which in their opinion have blocked a political attempt to deny Lebanese expatriates their rights to reclaim their nationality, at a time “when there are hundreds of non-Lebanese people, refugees and displaced, threatening the country’s freedom and identity” Finally, the ministry urged a rapid implementation of the said law. 

With their decision the Constitutional Court has actually aborted any attempt to challenge the new nationality law from a human and women right perspective, particularly in terms of its clear discrimination against women. On this matter the Court member Sala7h Mokhayber argued that the Court was “looking into an appeal in a law for reinstatement and not granting a nationality.” He told Al Akbar that “in terms of gender equality the nationality law does not treat men and women in the same way”. “And since the new law is founded on the present state of legislation (the core of which is denying women their rights to grant nationality to their families), therefore, the issue of gender inequality was not a subject for deliberation,” Mokhayber concluded. (Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, January 8, 2016)