A major reform to update family law has begun in Uzbekistan, aiming to curb outdated customs and strengthen the protection of women’s and minors’ rights. The Ministry of Justice has presented a new draft law that will drastically revise marriage rules and increase liability for violations. This was reported by upl.uzreports.
The key change is an expanded list of relatives whose marriage will be prohibited. Unions between close collateral relatives up to the fourth generation will now be strictly restricted: uncles/aunts and nephews/nieces, as well as second-, third- and fourth-degree relatives, are included in the list.
At the same time, certain cases are предусмотрены as exceptions: if one of the parties is adopted or a stepchild and, in practice, is not considered a 1st–4th degree relative of the other person, such situations will be assessed under a special procedure.
Officials also want to step up efforts against early marriage. In special cases—such as pregnancy or the birth of a child—district governors (hokims) may lower the marriage age, but this period will now be limited to a maximum of 12 months.
Penalties are expected to become much tougher for those who, bypassing the law, repeatedly entered into a “de facto marriage” relationship with a minor (if they had previously received an administrative warning). The proposed fine is to be increased to 50–100 BCU—about 20.6 million to 41.2 million soums. In addition, offenders may be sentenced to up to 300 hours of compulsory community service or up to two years of corrective labor.
Under the current rules, such cases are punishable by a fine of 20–30 BCU (about 8.2 million to 12.3 million soums), or up to 240 hours of compulsory community service, or up to one year of corrective labor.
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