Report

The Sharia Courts and Personal Status Laws in the Gaza Strip

NRC|Published 15. Jan 2011
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Palestine Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA) Law and policy Legal identity
This report attempts to identify and distinguish the ways in which the personal status laws are codified, implemented, and affect the realities of women’s lives and experiences in Gaza.

Following a background of the use and application of shari’a law and description of the structure and functions of shari’a courts, a summary of the personal status laws in Gaza is presented, with a focus on women’s rights, and concludes with a presentation of the current challenges facing shari’a courts.

This paper has been published by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), with assistance from the Italian Cooperation Office of the Consulate General of Italy and the Norwegian Ministry of foreign Affairs (NMFA).