Libyan men now allowed to remarry without consent of first wife: court rule

Time for men in Libya to look for a second wife as the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court in the country abolished an old amendment that required men to have their first wife consent to them marrying a second one, according to AFP.

The previous Qaddafi regime requirement for a second marriage included written consent from the first wife and the man’s financial ability to be able to cater to both wives.

“In order to take a second wife, the man must secure prior judicial permission based on grounds of financial and physical capacity. He must also obtain the written agreement of the first wife, although authorization may be given by a court in exceptional circumstances”, according to a U.N. Refugee Agency report on women’s rights in Libya.

There are not a lot of in depth details on this specific situation.

The decision which was taken on Tuesday in Tripoli allegedly accepts overruling the previous government law.

After the fall of Qaddafi’s regime, many countries in the West were concerned the country would take Sharia law and make it the main and only source of the new constitution.

Removing the restrictions in the Marriage Act is just one of the many steps that have been taken by Libya’s courts towards a stricter Islamic hold on the country.