Tunisian Lawyers and Women’s Union Reject Controversial Divorce Law Proposal
Legal and Rights Groups Warn of Threat to Women’s Gains, Social Stability, and Justice System in Tunisia.
Watan-The Tunisian Women’s Union and the National Bar Association have urged parliament not to approve a draft law they warn poses a serious threat to social peace in the country.
A parliamentary initiative aimed at simplifying divorce procedures has stirred widespread controversy among Tunisian legal and human rights circles. The proposal, backed by 105 out of 154 MPs, seeks to amend the law governing notaries by allowing them to register consensual divorces without the need for court proceedings.
The Women’s Union condemned the parliamentary proposal, which also includes amnesty for those failing to pay alimony and revisions to Article 32 of the Personal Status Code (on consensual divorce). The Union warned that such changes would undermine Tunisian women’s legislative achievements and constitutional rights, which have made Tunisia a model for women’s rights in the region.
Tunisian Women’s Union and Bar Association Warn of Dangerous Divorce Law Threatening Family and Legal Integrity
The Union rejected the bill outright, calling it a real threat to Tunisian women’s gains and a violation of their dignity—especially given the unequal economic and social status of many women. It emphasized the need for court oversight to ensure justice and social peace.
The National Bar Association of Tunisia echoed this rejection, calling the proposal “legal nonsense” and a threat to constitutional rights, social peace, and national security. It stated that the Justice Ministry’s internal committees have already rejected the bill, viewing it as serving narrow sectoral interests and harming citizens.
The Association added that the initiative undermines hard-won family rights, especially those protecting women and children through judicial oversight. It accused the bill of eliminating due process and the role of lawyers in drafting legal documents and representing clients in court.
Furthermore, the Bar Association expressed concerns over job losses and career stagnation for young legal professionals, with over 9,160 practicing lawyers—more than half of them youth—relying on the legal system for employment and professional growth.
It pledged to resist the proposal through all available means, including maximum-level protests, describing the initiative as unjust, unpatriotic, and a direct attack on the essence of the legal profession and its historic role in defending rights and freedoms.
