Amendment of Marriage Act ‘will take time’

Dodoma. The government yesterday ruled out any possibility of amending the outdated Law of Marriage Act of 1971 in the near futute.

Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister Palamagamba Kabudi yesterday told the Parliament processes for the adjustment of the crucial Act was a matter of legal anthropology which requires ample amount of time.

In order to professionally and successfully adjust the law in question, there is a need for ample time to educate and assist some communities to refrain from some cultural beliefs and perceptions towards marriage and other relevant marital issues. Prof Kabudi made the remarks when responding to a question from Songwe MP Philipo Mulugo (CCM) who wanted to know when the government would amend some of the laws that are outdated.

In his key question, Mr Mulugo said there were a number of laws that are outdated and not reflecting today’s realities. “For example, the Law of Marriage Act of 1971 and the National Education Act of 1978 are obviously outdated. When will the government amend these and many others?” he asked.

In his response, Prof Kabudi said his ministry through the Law Reform Commission (LRCT) is in a process to adjust many laws, but noted that amendment of laws needs time.

“Processes for an amendment of a crucial Act are very sensitive and need ample time in order to come up with suitable inputs that will quench the thirst of broad societal demands,” he said.

He said the Law of Marriage Act of 1971 is in contradiction with some religious beliefs and other local values and hence, amending it is sure to be a rather sensitive process.

“For stance, in some societies, a woman getting a beating from her husband is part and parcel of spousal love expression in the family,” he said.

The minister further pointed out that in some sections, the Law of Marriage Act of 1971 allows for young girls and boys aged 14 to enter into marriage, something that is in tandem with their societal values... such sections have been included in order to cater for the needs of certain communities, he said.