The Ministry of Justice is studying a proposal that would make it mandatory for all Saudi couples to have premarital family management licenses. The aim is to provide couples with the skills and knowledge needed to solve disputes when they are married, reported Al-Watan Arabic daily on Monday. Marriage and family disputes currently account for 60 percent of all court cases in the country. Couples currently have to undergo premarital medical checkups as a condition for marriage. If the proposal is adopted, official registrars of marriage will not be able to marry a couple who do not have this license. Sheikh Mansour Al-Qafari, adviser to the Minister of Justice and spokesman of the ministry, told Al-Watan that a proposal is being studied. “The ministry will be responsible for ensuring that official registrars of marriage do not conclude a marriage contract without seeing the license.” The ministry will draw up recommendations that will be sent to the relevant authorities, he said. If they are approved, the ministry will be responsible for issuing licenses to those couples who qualify. He said a number of ministries will work together to offer the courses. Al-Qafari said the Ministry of Justice has previously signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Social Affairs on issues related to family management and family violence. Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, Minister of Justice, said in a lecture on Saturday at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University, that the ministry is studying new procedures, including new legislation, to reduce the number of family disputes.
