The Constitutional Court has ruled that the ban on marriages between third cousins was indeed constitutional but has underlined the need for an amendment to the law stating that marriages of third cousins can be annulled.

On Thursday, the Constitutional Court maintained that marriages between third cousins should be banned. Still, if a couple found out they were third cousins after they tied the knot, this cannot be cause for an annulment. Therefore, the top court ruled that the annulment clause was inconsistent with the Constitution. 

This means that while the law itself makes sense, the court wants to keep it from creating family strife if the marriage is immediately invalidated.

With that, the court has asked the law be amended to prevent such immediate marriage fallouts in the future. If the legislature does not amend the law, this cushion will lose its effect after December 31, 2024, which would mean even after years of marriage between third cousins, it can be annulled immediately.

This comes as a spouse tried to annul a marriageon the grounds that the couple were third cousins, while the other partner refused a divorce settlement.