More marriages and fewer divorces in Gaza 2009

Figures released by the Supreme Council of Islamic Judiciary in Gaza show that 2009 saw the highest number of marriages since the establishment of Shari’ah Courts in the territory. The figure for the year stood at 18,571. The Council’s report also showed that Gaza has the lowest divorce rate in the region, with a total of 2,593 last year, of which 883 were irrevocable.

The report stated that the Islamic Courts dealt with more than 3,300 such cases altogether, and the Supreme Council had approved an additional 29 lawyers qualified to work in the system. Across the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Courts remain very busy. The Supreme Council indicated that at the primary level, just over 96,000 cases were heard in the Shari’ah court system.