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: Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee debated the question of child marriage Tuesday, but failed to reach a consensus, a member of the committee said. Independent MP Paula Yacoubian, who sits on the committee, said there was a “heated discussion” on the question of legislating a minimum age for marriage in Lebanon. As has been the case in the past, she said opponents of setting a minimum age - in this case, legislators from Hezbollah and the Future Movement - argued that the matter should be left to religious authorities, which currently regulate issues related to marriage in the country.
A statement released by Adwan via the National News Agency did not mention the child marriage discussion but said the committee had talked about issues raised in the media relating to Customs operations. Yacoubian said discussion centered around claims that Customs agents were in some cases accepting bribes to allow goods to enter the country without paying the required fees, or otherwise breaching the law.