Before joining Hannouche Associates, Mr. Rahal held several governmental positions related to personal status administrations before becoming the head of the personal status administration in the Mount Lebanon and Bekaa jurisdictions successively, positions he held for more than 30 years.
In addition, for more than a decade, Wadih was the head of the legal supervisory committee at the Lebanese government overlooking the decisions of Lebanese judges in matters related to personal status laws.
Furthermore, for a period going from the 1991 till 2008, Mr. Rahal presided over the Mount Lebanon ministerial committee controlling the legal and procedural conformance of legislative elections.
In 2010, Wadih joined Hannouche Associates where he advises clients on matters related to personal status and administrative law. He is the counsel for some of the most notable lobbying groups in Lebanon. His wide experience in the personal status field, has led religious authorities as well as individuals to seek his legal advice on the subject matter.
Mr. Rahal has written two books, of two volumes each, thus far throughout his career, both of which are considered to be a reference in their fields.
The first book is entitled “The laws governing Lebanese Nationality”, firstly published in 1994 with a second edition in 1997 and a third one in 2006, where the author treats the delicate issues of adoption, legal and illegal children, Lebanese Nationality and the right to vote.
The second book is entitled “Civil and religious marriage in Lebanon”, published in 1997 with a second edition in 2010. In this book Mr. Rahal examines the application of civil marriages in Lebanon and the jurisdiction of Lebanese courts over marriages contracted outside Lebanon.
Wadih is fluent in Arabic, French and English. He received his law degree from the Lebanese University in 1974 and his master’s in International law from the Beirut Arab University in 1976. Mr. Rahal is a member of the Beirut Bar Association.
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