Truth behind Abolishing Bride's Possessions List "Chattel" in Egypt

The news of cancelling women's possessions list "chattel" in Egypt sparked controversy on the Social media during the past hours.

The chattel is a document that is written at the time of the marriage contract to prove the woman’s possessions, including  all furniture, devices and collectibles she bought inside the house before marriage, to help return her stuff in a case the couple split up.

The news of the cancellation of the possessions list spread after a man named Islam Abdul Maksoud wrote a blog post on his personal account saying: “Congratulations, men, the list has been cancelled in Egypt,” without specifying the source of the information or presenting any official decision to any party in Egypt regarding the news.

There have been many different comments about the feasibility of canceling the list, and whether it will really ease the financial obligations for the groom, or will it be greater, because when canceling the list, he will bear the expense of all the bride’s equipment, including electrical appliances, kitchen utensils, and even her, weeding dress, clothes and personal belongings.

At the same time, lawyer Mohamed Tarek Arian commented, “Any news about the cancellation of the chattel list is not true," adding that the work of the list is still legal, and the crime of squandering marital movables is still punishable by imprisonment and a fine.

Arian explained that the reason for this fuss about canceling the list was a campaign launched by a YouTuber, calling for its abolition, and it widely spread, but in fact, no decision was issued to cancel it from any official source.