Cabinet approves draft family law for Christian Egyptians: What you need to know

CAIRO – 22 April 2026: Egypt’s Cabinet approved on Wednesday a draft law governing personal status matters for Christian families, following extensive consultations with representatives of Christian denominations.

The government said the move comes in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to expedite the submission of family law bills for both Christians and Muslims, as well as a family support fund bill, to parliament.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the three draft laws would be referred to parliament in sequence on a weekly basis, aiming to meet citizens’ expectations, safeguard family and social stability, and protect the rights of all parties.

Who and What the Law Covers

Minister of Justice Mahmoud El-Sherif said the draft law applies to personal status matters of Christian Egyptians from various denominations, including Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Evangelical, and Catholic communities.

Meanwhile, it incorporates specific provisions for each denomination in line with its doctrinal principles.

The bill regulates a wide range of issues, including engagement, marriage, divorce and annulment, civil dissolution for certain denominations, child custody and visitation, parental guardianship in education, lineage, missing persons, and inheritance.

Here Are Key Highlights of the Law

Engagement is no longer treated as a social arrangement but as a formal, notarized contract that explicitly includes the engagement gift (shabkah), and must be announced in church for one month prior to marriage to allow for objections.

Marriage is accompanied by a contractual addendum setting out agreed terms between spouses, such as the wife’s employment or financial obligations. Breach of these conditions potentially constitutes legal grounds for divorce or compensation claims.

On divorce, the bill maintains that separation remains governed by each church’s doctrine, while some denominations retain the concept of physical separation instead of divorce.

It also broadens the definition of adultery to include various forms of marital infidelity, with assessment left to the court’s discretion.

Termination of marriage is categorized into three cases: annulment, dissolution, and divorce.

The law sets out clear grounds for annulment, including concealment of mental or psychological illness, submission of false certificates of impediment clearance, or undisclosed legal or medical barriers to marriage.

Changes in religious denomination will not be recognized in disputes between spouses, in order to prevent circumvention of legal obligations.

While the law allows a divorced individual to remarry upon obtaining a court ruling, final approval remains subject to church doctrine.

In matters of inheritance, custody, and visitation, the draft establishes equal inheritance rights between men and women and grants Christian women the same financial rights provided under Muslim personal status law.

It also introduces “host visitation,” allowing a child to stay overnight with the father and travel with him for one week annually, in addition to permitting electronic visitation through communication platforms for traveling parents.

‘Consensus among Denominations’

The justice minister noted that the draft law reflects full consensus among Christian denominations on both substantive and procedural provisions.

He added that the approval followed 35 meetings held by a legal committee formed under a prime ministerial decree and including representatives from relevant authorities and the denominations themselves.

The draft was also subject to broad societal dialogue among Christian denominations covered by the law, in line with presidential directives, according to El-Sherif.

Moreover, it was reviewed by bodies including the Supreme Judicial Council, the National Council for Human Rights, the National Council for Women, and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, with their observations taken into account, he added.

What the Law Presents

According to El-Sherif, the draft consolidates previously fragmented regulations governing Christian family matters into a single legislative framework, making it easier for citizens and judges alike to access and apply its provisions.

He emphasized that the law has been drafted in line with constitutional principles of equality, ensuring unified provisions across non-doctrinal matters, such as marital housing, custody, visitation, and related rights.

The draft law was formulated in line with the Constitution’s principle that citizens are equal before the law, and that equality is the foundation and cornerstone of legislation, the minister said.

He added that it ensures that all non-doctrinal matters, such as marital housing, visitation, child custody, insurance document, marriage contract addendum, and relevant violation penalties, are uniform for all citizens.

These provisions have been drafted in parallel with the corresponding provisions in the draft personal status law for Muslims, the minister affirmed.