Govt. to amend Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act

• Declare 18 as common age for marriage for all ethnic groups 
• Call for modification of travel advisories

By Kelum Bandara

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have informed the diplomatic community in Sri Lanka yesterday that in a move aimed at unifying the personal laws in the country at least to some extent, the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act would be amended to increase the marriage age to 18 for Muslim women.  

He briefed the heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo on the security situation in the country after the serial bombings on April 21 and the steps taken for de-radicalization as a step towards sustainable peace in the country.   

The PM said steps would be taken to reform the education sector and the legal system of the country.   

As an initial step for implementing a common law cutting across different ethnic groups, he said the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act would be amended to declare 18 as the marriageable age for Muslim women in line with other the laws applicable for other communities.   

He said Madrasas or the Muslim religious schools would be brought under the purview of the Education Ministry.   

According to sources close to the Prime Minister, there were requests from Muslim Woman organizations to increase the age of marriage to 18.   
The military officers who were present at the meeting briefed the diplomatic community about the security situation.   

As an initial step for implementing a common law cutting across  different ethnic groups, he said the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act  would be amended to declare 18 as the marriageable age for Muslim women  in line with other the laws applicable for other communities

They told the diplomats the entire terror network of the bomb attackers had been dismantled since all the key suspects had either been killed or arrested and that there were no intelligence report about any other terrorist attack.   

The government requested the respective countries to modify their travel advisories in accordance with the improvement of the security situation in the country. There was positive response from the British High Commission to this request. 

• Education sector will be reformed
• Modify travel advisories