Latest news with #CivilCode
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Independent
House of Representatives' Housing Committee approves new 'old rent' law
The House of Representatives' Housing Committee approved in principle on Tuesday the newest draft for the old rent law submitted by the government. At the beginning of the House's plenary session, House Speaker Hanafi al-Gebaly referred a draft law submitted by the government on certain provisions related to rental laws and the reorganization of the relationship between landlords and tenants. This law replaces the previous draft law submitted by the government to the House of Representatives on April 28 regarding certain provisions related to rental laws. The referral was made to a joint committee of the Housing, Public Utilities, and Construction Committee and the offices of the Local Administration and Constitutional and Legislative Affairs committees to discuss the articles of the draft law and report upon it. It relied on the latest version submitted by the government to the House of Representatives on June 16, which included the major features and new legislative proposals to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants. New draft law The draft law stipulates an appropriate transitional period before terminating old lease contracts. This period is seven years for premises rented for residential purposes, and five years for premises rented to natural persons for non-residential purposes. Tenants are required to vacate the leased premises and return them to the landlord once the transitional period is done. The law explicitly stipulates the abolition of all old lease laws after the end of this transitional period. The law stipulates that after the end of the transitional period, old lease contracts shall be terminated and the rental relationship shall be freed up, such that all lease contracts shall become subject to the provisions of the Civil Code, subject to the mutual consent of both parties. The draft law also stipulates increasing the legal rental value of places rented for residential purposes in distinguished areas by twenty times the current legal rental value, with a minimum amount of LE 1,000, and by ten times the current rental value of units located in medium and economic areas, with a minimum amount of LE 400 in medium areas, and LE 250 for units located in economic areas. It also stipulates increasing the legal rental value of places rented to naturalized persons for purposes other than residential purposes by five times the current rental value, and increasing the rental value of places rented for residential and non-residential purposes during the transitional period periodically annually by 15 percent. According to the law, inventory committees will be formed within the scope of each governorate, specializing in dividing the areas containing premises rented for residential purposes subject to the provisions of this law into distinguished, medium, and economic areas, and determining the rental value due based on this classification, provided that these committees complete their work within three months from the date of the law's entry into force. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Asahi Shimbun
6 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Dual surname issue takes toll on common-law couple in Tokyo
A common-law couple using the pseudonyms Mitsuru Nezu and Toko Kurokawa in Tokyo on May 30. They joined a 2024 lawsuit aiming to give married couples the option of maintaining different surnames. (Suzuka Tominaga) A Lower House debate on a selective surname bill signifies the first time in 28 years for the issue to make it to the Diet. However, there are no prospects for the bill to be passed before the current Diet session closes in a week, meaning the difficulties will continue for a Tokyo couple who have maintained a de facto marriage. It has been 17 years since Mitsuru Nezu and Toko Kurokawa—both pseudonyms out of consideration for their daughter—opted for a common-law marriage in order for them to hold different surnames. Kurokawa, 52, said her last name 'is the foundation that shapes my life and myself.' When the couple were initially considering marriage, Kurokawa had already been known by her last name and used it in her professional life for more than 30 years. She said she did not want to be legally married and force either her or her husband to give up their last name. Nezu, 51, had conversely thought that women change their last names by default. However, he changed his mind after building an equal relationship with Kurokawa. 'There is no reason for a woman to change her last name other than customary practice,' he concluded. 'We can't just follow the same old way of doing things.' The couple instead chose common-law marriage, thinking, 'This is our way of life.' But as the years went by, the disadvantages and insecurities of being in a non-legal partnership 'began to hit us like body blows.' About 10 years ago when the couple wanted to buy a house, they inquired with every major financial institution about obtaining a pair loan, or joint mortgage. Almost all of them did not recognize common-law marriages. 'I thought that de facto marriages were treated lightly,' Kurokawa said. The two ended up signing for a loan with a high interest rate. Health and tax matters hold additional stressors as their medical expenses cannot be combined into one household and are not eligible for a tax deduction. Were one of them to become a dependent after falling ill or becoming disabled, the couple would be unable to file for a spouse deduction. A death would likewise not include the standard deductions or benefits, including those concerning inheritance. Both also are unclear on their ability to consent to a surgery on behalf of the other in the event of an emergency. Though they all live together, Kurokawa has sole custody of their daughter who is in junior high school. 'We eat together as a family, laugh together and fight. These casual, sweet days can't be separated from anxiety, as if we are walking on thin ice,' Kurokawa said. The couple joined a group of plaintiffs in a March 2024 damage lawsuit calling for a system allowing married couples to have different surnames. The plaintiffs claim that provisions of the Civil Code and the Family Registration Law that bar couples from choosing separate last names violate their constitutional rights. Specifically, they cite Article 24 of the Constitution that prohibits unreasonable restrictions on marriage and Article 13, which guarantees the right to the pursuit of happiness. In two similar court cases in 2015 and 2021, the Grand Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the current system is constitutional. Nezu said he wants to ask the top court justices, 'Have you ever imagined yourself in the position of suffering?' A proposal from opposition parties to legislate the expansion of the use of maiden names to hold the same legal weight as a shared surname was also discussed at the current Diet session. However, Nezu and Kurokawa believe that 'changing one's family name does not alter the fact that one is abandoning the family name that has been a part of one's life for many years, and the problem of loss of identity will not be solved.' When both were preparing for the lawsuit, they made one attempt to register their marriage in February 2024. However, it was rejected after pair did not choose 'husband's name' or 'wife's name' in the surname section, but instead checked both options. The couple said they hope they will be able to joyfully register their marriage when a system open to different surnames is established.
Daily Tribune
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
Court annuls car deal over altered chassis
Tampering with a car's chassis number has cost a Bahraini seller BD14,625 after a court annulled the deal, ruling the buyer could not register the vehicle in his Gulf country due to the altered markings. The High Civil Court found that the vehicle's identification had been interfered with, preventing its registration abroad and rendering it useless for road use. The judge ordered the seller to return the full amount paid and to cover the cost of an expert's report, along with legal fees. Bank transfer The buyer had paid BD14,625 by bank transfer after agreeing the price with the seller. The vehicle was then shipped overseas. There, it failed inspection. The anti-counterfeiting division examined the chassis and spotted signs that the number had been tampered with. The traffic directorate refused to process registration. Knowledge The buyer, who had no knowledge of any tampering, hired a technical expert. On inspecting the car, the expert noted welding, sanding, and fresh paint around the area where the chassis number had been stamped. He concluded that the car carried a concealed fault: a forged number that made the vehicle unfit for legal use. Lawyer Sara Ali, acting for the buyer, told the court that her client was misled and that the car's condition amounted to a breach of contract. Contract She relied on Article 141(a) of the Civil Code, which allows one side to cancel a contract if the other fails to do their part. She also cited Article 415, which makes a seller liable for faults that reduce an item's use or worth, even if they were unaware of the defect, and Article 425, which gives the buyer the right to cancel the sale or demand payment if the item doesn't match what was promised. The court said the buyer could no longer make use of the car as intended and that the tampering destroyed the purpose of the sale. The inspection report from the Gulf state's crime unit and the expert's findings were enough to show the vehicle had been altered. The judge ordered the buyer to return the car. The seller must repay the BD14,625 and cover BD250 in expert costs. Both sides were told to pay their share of court fees.
Daily Tribune
09-06-2025
- Daily Tribune
Red-light crash victim awarded BD9,000
A red-light crash that shattered a Bahraini man's leg has ended with a BD9,000 payout after a civil court ruled the woman behind the wheel was to blame. The High Civil Court ordered the payment. The defendant must also cover BD298.5 in court fees, BD20 in legal costs, BD90 for medical assessments and BD10 for translation. Representing the man was lawyer Jassim Al Issa. The crash happened on 12 July last year. The woman drove through a red light and struck the claimant's car. He was taken to hospital with a fractured thigh bone, a gash to the knee and bruises across his body. A criminal court later fined her BD1,000 after finding her guilty of a string of driving offences, including causing damage to property and failing to take due care. That ruling was not appealed and stood as final. Medical reports placed his permanent disability at 15 per cent. The man was left with pain, a limited range of movement in the right knee and visible scarring. The court also considered the mental strain he and his family had endured. Claim His original claim asked for BD5,001. This was raised to BD10,000 following the medical findings, which detailed the injury and loss of earnings. The court awarded BD9,000, with BD8,500 covering physical harm and BD500 for emotional distress. The claim for interest was turned down. Judges referred to Article 228 of the Civil Code, which bars interest on civil debts. But the defendant must still foot the full bill for legal and medical costs.
The Mainichi
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Japan should pass bill on optional separate surnames during current Diet session
Deliberations on bills separately submitted by three opposition parties over selective surnames for married couples are underway in the House of Representatives' Committee on Judicial Affairs. There are people who have had their dignity undermined due to having to change their surnames upon marriage, suffering disadvantages in their lives. It is unacceptable to leave the situation unaddressed. It is necessary to bring about a selective separate surname system for married couples during the current Diet session. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) have respectively submitted bills to revise the Civil Code to allow Japanese couples to choose whether to adopt a shared surname or retain their premarital surnames upon marriage. Both bills stipulate that the surname of children will be decided when couples get married if they opt for separate surnames. Under the DPFP bill, couples adopting different surnames will decide which name to list as the head of their family register, and their children will assume that name. There are no big differences between the two bills. The CDP and DPFP should immediately hold consultations to unify their bills for their early enactment. Fellow opposition party Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) submitted a bill to expand the use of maiden names in business and on other occasions, though couples would retain a shared surname. Under its proposal, maiden names would be included in family registers to give people using legal grounds for continuing to use them. However, since the real name listed in the family register would still have to change, the problem of people feeling a loss of identity from having to change their surname would remain unresolved. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), meanwhile, is split over the introduction of selective separate surnames, and forwent submitting its own bill to the Diet. There were moves within the party to make the expansion of the use of maiden names its basic stance, but it failed to build consensus due to a strong backlash from party lawmakers in favor of introducing the optional separate surname system. As the points of contention are clearly laid out, the LDP should swiftly agree to putting the bills to a vote. If the party finds it too difficult to achieve internal consensus, it should leave the decision to each LDP lawmaker without compelling them to adhere to party lines. Komeito's response to the issue is also questionable. Although the LDP's junior coalition partner had advocated for the realization of selective separate surnames in its campaign pledge for last year's House of Representatives election, it is currently struggling to align itself with the LDP. In Japan, the majority of those who change their surnames upon marriage are women. The United Nations' Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has repeatedly issued advisories calling for correct of the system forcing Japanese couples to adopt a single surname, calling it discriminatory. The optional separate surname system fulfills the wishes of those wanting to retain their own surnames while not shunning those wishing to adopt a shared surname. No one should be disadvantaged by this system. It has been 29 years since the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice proposed the introduction of selective separate surnames. Today, fewer and fewer people are bound by traditional family values. There are also many people who believe married couples having different surnames will not affect family bonds. It is the role of politics to keep systems in step with the changing times.
