Gender Justice, Customary Marriage and Inheritance
An overview of legal issues connecting gender equality, customary marriage, property and inheritance in Liberia.
Statutory and customary frameworks
Liberia's legal system includes statutory law and recognised customary-law arrangements. Questions about marriage, property and inheritance can therefore involve more than one legal source.
Equal Rights of the Customary Marriage Law
The Equal Rights of the Customary Marriage Law of 1998 is an important part of the framework. It recognises customary marriages and addresses rights and duties within those marriages, including issues affecting property, surviving spouses and inheritance.
Constitutional context
The Constitution protects equality before the law and contains provisions concerning property and inheritance. Article 23 addresses property rights of spouses and directs the Legislature to govern inheritance and descent so as to protect surviving spouses and children of statutory and customary marriages.
Why reform work continues
Gender justice is not only about the wording of one statute. Reform can involve identifying discriminatory provisions, conflicts between laws, gaps in protection and practical barriers to equal treatment.
Check the exact law
Inheritance and family-property questions can be fact-sensitive and may require probate or court processes. Consult current enacted texts and obtain legal advice where property rights or a deceased person's estate are involved.