The amendments to the country's legislation are a long-standing demand of Shiite blocs and could legalize child marriage

Iraq's parliament approved three controversial acts on Tuesday, including amendments to the country's Personal Status Law which would allow girls to marry before the age of 15, Shafaq News has reported. Opponents to the lagislation have raised concerns that the move could effectively legalize child marriage and deprive women and girls of basic rights.

The new legislation will allow clerics to approve of social relationships based on their reading of Islamic law. Some interpretations of the law followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq permit the marriage of girls as young as nine.

Current Iraqi law sets the legal age for marriage for both men and women at 18, but allows men and women to be married at age 15 with the permission of a judge and their legal guardian.

The proposed amendments, a long-standing demand of Shiite blocs which currently dominate the country's parliamentary chamber, have ignited heated debates among lawmakers and civil society organizations.

Supporters of the changes, primarily conservative Shiite MPs, argue the amendments align the law with Islamic principles and counter Western cultural influences on the Middle Eastern nation.

Human rights campaigners, however, have argued that the bill undermines Iraq's 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established protections for women.

The parliament also passed a general amnesty law, seen as benefiting Sunni detainees, and a land restitution law addressing Kurdish territorial claims. However, opponents reportedly alleged the amnesty law could also pardon individuals involved in corruption and embezzlement.

The parliamentary session ended in chaos and accusations of procedural violations.

Independent MP Saad Al-Toubi condemned the session as politically biased, claiming that the "voting process was driven by political whims, and passing three laws in a single basket is illegal," according to Shafaq News.

He told the outlet that the number of MPs voting on the laws fell short of the legal quorum, yet the parliamentary leadership hastily announced their approval.

(RT.com)