Government Gazette on Arbitration Amendment Bill

Government Gazette on Arbitration Amendment Bill – Al Jama-ah’s Private Members Bill on Muslim marriages:

Al Jama-ah Party says the publishing of the Government Gazette on an explanatory summary on the Arbitration Amendment Bill 2023 by it’s leader Hon Ganief Hendricks MP, on the eve of Women’s Day is the most appropriate time as the country commemorates Women’s Month.

Hendricks will introduce the Arbitration Amendment Bill 2023 to the National Assembly of Parliament and the public will be invited to make comments. Hendricks says the proposed Bill serves all faiths to have an alternative dispute resolution structure for marital disputes.

The Gazette states that: “The proposed Amendments to the Arbitration Act No. 42 of 1965 are intended to facilitate ADR in the resolution of certain disputes arising out of Muslim marriages, and while at the same time acknowledging that the Department of Home Affairs has already geared itself towards setting up systems to register such marriages.”

The Registration of Muslim Marriages and marriages of other faiths not recognised by the government, serve to promote equality amongst all citizens of the country. “Muslims and people of other faiths like Hinduism and Judaism suffer discrimination because their religious or cultural marriages are not recognised by the government. This has caused many hardships on women especially, when they want to access the estate of a late spouse, or when they need to claim maintenance and inheritance,” says Hendricks.

He explains that the Registration of Muslim marriages and that of other faiths, will reduce cases of Gender-Based Violence as the wives will have access to alternative dispute resolution structures which is not so expensive.