Katarzyna Sidło (Center for Social and Economic Research) organized a PIL Forum Roundtable on the Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi’s 2017 proposal to amend inheritance laws. She introduces the Roundtable by noting that, under the country’s current Personal Status Code – passed in 1956 – Tunisian citizens may not “allocate their inheritance freely and must follow” the inheritance divisions elaborated by Muslims jurists based on the Qurʾān (4:11-14) and sunna (reports of the prophetic example). The proposed amendment, if passed by parliament, will allow Tunisians choice: equal shares of inheritance between male and female heirs would become the default rule, from which those wishing to follow traditional Islamic legal rulings could opt out.
Below are two of the selected pieces from the Roundtable. Scholars may apply for full access to the Forum to read and participate in the full round table. Email pil@law.harvard.edu.