![This picture taken on September 20, 2020 shows a Kuwaiti national flag flying from a mast in Kuwait City [YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/GettyImages-1228610023-scaled-e1614774208644.jpg?fit=1093%2C800&ssl=1)
Kuwait has repealed Article 153 of its 1960 Penal Code, a law that allowed reduced sentences for men who killed female relatives caught in adultery in so-called ‘honour killings.’ The landmark reform ensures such crimes are now prosecuted as murder, marking a significant step towards gender equality and justice.
Justice Minister Nasser Al-Sumait announced the repeal, stating that the provision had no basis in Islamic law and violated fundamental human rights. The now-abolished article had permitted a maximum prison term of three years or a fine of 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars ($9,740) for men who killed their wives, daughters, mothers, or sisters in “honour” crimes.
“This law granted legal leniency to certain perpetrators of murder, contradicting Kuwait’s constitutional principles and international human rights commitments,” Al-Sumait said. The repeal aligns with Article 29 of Kuwait’s Constitution, which guarantees equality in human dignity, public rights, and duties without gender-based discrimination.
The decision, published in the official gazette on Sunday, was welcomed by activists, including the campaign group ‘Abolish 153,’ which has spent a decade fighting for the law’s removal.
Additionally, Kuwait has amended Article 26 of its Family Law, raising the minimum marriage age to 18 for both men and women, bringing the country in line with international conventions. Previously, girls could marry at 15 and boys at 17, with exceptions for puberty.
Human rights organisations have long urged Kuwait to combat child marriage, which disproportionately affects foreign nationals. The reform strengthens protections for women and children, aligning Kuwaiti law with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The repeal of Article 153 is seen as a milestone in Kuwait’s legal system, reinforcing justice, equality, and human rights.
READ: Kuwait pension fund’s $1bn corruption lawsuit begins in UK court