ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the legal framework governing personal status matters involving non-Muslims in Egypt. Legislative pluralism in matters of personal status is deeply entrenched in the Egyptian legal system, giving rise to a system that oscillates between two models: one in which rules vary according to religious affiliation, and another in which a uniform body of law applies to all Egyptians. The resulting system is complex and constantly negotiated (and sometimes challenged) by religious communities, litigants, and public actors. Broadly speaking, the same law applies to all Egyptians when provided so by the legislature or by courts. In the absence of such unification, the personal status religious law applies to non-Muslim spouses belonging to the same community and denomination. In cases where spouses do not share such affiliation, the personal status law of Muslims serves as the default framework, provided its application does not conflict with the tenets of the non-Muslim faith.
