RIYADH — A court in Saudi Arabia facilitated the marriage of a young woman after stripping off the guardianship of her father who rejected many of the marriage proposals that came her way. The judge transferred the woman's guardianship to get her married with a young man, who had proposed marriage to her. The ruling came following a complaint lodged by the woman claiming that her father had rejected several proposals made by young men to marry her. The Ministry of Justice stated that the court completed the legal procedures within five days that resulted in her marriage after filing of the adl lawsuit by the woman. Adl is a lawsuit by a woman against her guardian for obstructing her marriage. This was in line with the regulations issued earlier by the Supreme Judiciary Council to expedite adjudication of adl lawsuits. In the lawsuit, the young woman alleged that her father refused to get her married with a number of young men, who had on various occasions, had proposed marriage. In the petition, the woman urged the court to transfer her guardianship to the judge, paving the way for her marriage with the current suitor. The woman's father, the defendant, failed to attend the court session, while the young suitor was present who testified in the court that he was willing to marry her. Accordingly, the court transferred the guardianship to the Shariah authority, represented by the judge, and upheld the validity of their marriage. In the Kingdom, there have been several cases where young women have approached the courts for help in getting married. The woman may go to the local court and file an adl lawsuit against her guardian. The judge would first try to reconcile between the woman and her guardian. If the judge fails to reconcile the two, then the judge will suggest to the guardian that he transfers the guardianship of the woman to another blood relative. If the guardian rejects the suggestion, then the judge himself assumes the guardianship of the woman. This is in line with article 33 of the Legal Procedures Law that allows civil courts to look into cases of women who do not have a guardian to marry them or cases of guardians who prevent them from getting married.
