The College of Law at the University of Baghdad witnessed, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the defense of a Master’s thesis in the Department of Private Law entitled “The Preference of Judicial Evidence in Personal Status Disputes: A Comparative Study,” submitted by the student Rahma Riyadh Jameel.
The examination committee consisted of:
•Prof. Dr. Hamid Sultan Ali – Chair
•Prof. Dr. Mohammed Bandar Ali – Member
•Prof. Dr. Sahira Hasban Kazim – Member
•Asst. Prof. Dr. Harith Ali Ibrahim – Member and Supervisor
The thesis presented a comparative analytical study on the preference of judicial evidence in personal status disputes, highlighting the importance of this topic in achieving judicial justice and resolving family conflicts. The thesis consisted of three main chapters, each divided into three sections.
The first chapter discussed the concept of preferring judicial evidence, methods of resolving conflicting evidence, and the jurisprudential rules related to proof. The second chapter examined the rules governing the preference of evidence in disputes arising from the marriage contract and its legal consequences. The third chapter focused on the preference of evidence in disputes concerning divorce, lineage, wills, and inheritance.
The findings demonstrated the importance of defining legislative controls for the burden of proof in exceptional cases, filling legislative gaps in situations involving conflicting evidence, and establishing precise standards for preferring evidence in order to evaluate its strength and legal status. The thesis also emphasized the necessity of documenting essential financial matters before or during the marriage contract and strengthening the role of the court in verifying the reliability of evidence.
At the conclusion of the defense, the committee decided to approve the thesis and recommended awarding the degree, praising the scientific effort and the comparative methodology adopted in the study.
