Family
Personal law by religion, with Buddhist customary rules for the majority
Family law is applied according to the parties' religion. Burmese Buddhist customary law governs the majority, while Islamic, Hindu and Christian personal laws apply to their respective communities.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — District and township courts apply the personal law of the parties. The 2015 law regulates marriages between Buddhist women and non-Buddhist men.
Governing law
- Burmese Buddhist Women's Special Marriage Law1954, re-enacted 2015
- Myanmar Marriage Registration Act
- Guardians and Wards Act 1890
In practice
Burmese Buddhist customary law permits divorce by mutual consent and recognises the concept of jointly acquired property, dividing it on separation, with distinctions between property brought into the marriage and property acquired during it. The 2015 Buddhist Women's Special Marriage Law, part of a package of race and religion statutes, imposes notice and objection procedures on interfaith marriages and has been criticised as discriminatory. Muslim family matters follow Islamic principles as applied by the courts, including talaq divorce and Quranic inheritance shares. Since 2021 court access has been uneven, and civil registration of marriages and births has been disrupted in conflict areas.