The number of divorce judgments pronounced in Tunisia during the 2021-2022 judicial year amounted to 14,706, compared to 12,598 during the 2020-2021 judicial year, said Imen Mouaouia, policy officer at the Ministry of Justice. Mouaouia was speaking during a study day entitled "The institution of marriage in Tunisia: Means to strengthen and protect it", organised by the Ministry of Women, Family, Children and the Elderly on Thursday. The institution of marriage has become "extremely fragile". This fragility often makes it unable to withstand crises caused by financial, social and psychological difficulties or changes in the behaviour of one or both spouses, the same source noted. It revealed that the highest number of judgments in the judicial year 2021-2022 concerned divorces by mutual consent, with a total of 5,708 judgments, followed by no-fault divorces at the request of the husband (4,299 judgments) and 3,399 judgments at the request of the wife. The number of judgments for divorces based on fault, a ccording to the same source, is 1,300, divided into 667 judgments at the request of the wife and 633 judgments at the request of the husband. In this context, the official pointed out that the judiciary seeks to play a preventive role in matters of personal status, particularly with regard to the institution of marriage. In addition to its punitive role in sanctioning offenders, she highlighted the mandatory conciliation phase in divorce cases before the family judge or one of the deputies of the president of the court of first instance. She stated that the Ministry of Justice is committed to an approach that takes into account family cohesion in order to preserve family ties. In addition, decisions on the custody of minor children and others are taken by the family judge on the basis of the cases presented to him. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse