CAIRO: The Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt rejected an appeal to amend law 4/2005, which states that a mother’s custody ends when the child turns 15, according to Islamic jurisprudence.
When the child turns 15, their custody case is presented to the court, and the child then has to choose to live with either its mother – without receiving child support – or with their father. Females remain in the parent’s custody until marriage, while males stay until the age of 21.
Some argue that the father-child relationship is negatively affected by the visitation rights stipulated under law 62/1976. Parental visits, which last for three hours once a week, have to be supervised by a civil employee. They must also be in a public place, such as the National Democratic Party’s headquarters or sporting clubs, to guarantee the safety of the child.
In addition, many say that when the parents are not on good terms, the father is usually bad-mouthed by the mother, a problem which is compounded by the limited visitations.
