Sexual Conduct Law — Lebanon

Key takeaways

Legal framework (Penal Code & related laws)

Adultery (criminal offence)

Articles 487–489 criminalize adultery by either spouse; the 2014 reform equalized treatment and clarifies complaint-driven prosecution.

“Adultery committed by either of the spouses shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of three months to two years.”

Article 534 and LGBTQ status

Article 534 penalizes “sexual intercourse against nature” with up to one year’s imprisonment—a colonial-era provision often invoked against LGBTQ people, though multiple courts have held it should not apply to consensual same-sex relations between adults in private.

In 2012 the Justice Ministry urged an end to invasive “anal examinations” used in some cases.

Rape & marital rape

Article 503 defines rape around force/violence/threat; Lebanon’s 2014 domestic-violence law penalizes a spouse’s use of threats/violence to claim a “marital right to intercourse,” but does not expressly criminalize marital rape itself.

Statutory rape / offences against minors

Article 505 punishes sexual intercourse with a minor under 15; 15–18-year cases are treated under separate provisions (including inducement/promise of marriage under Article 518). Courts apply these articles frequently in practice.

Repeal of Article 522 (“marry the rapist”)

In August 2017, Parliament repealed Article 522, ending automatic exoneration for rapists who married their victims. However, loopholes tied to Articles 505/518 may still allow exoneration in some minor cases when marriage occurs—this remains contested.

Prostitution & procuring

Article 523 criminalizes “secret prostitution.” Although licensed brothels are theoretically permitted, no new licenses have been issued since the 1970s, making adult sex work effectively illegal; pimping and exploitation offences are also criminal.

Pornography & online controls

Distribution of pornographic material is prosecuted under morality and cybercrime rules; authorities have ordered ISPs to block some porn websites. Child sexual abuse material is criminalized under Law 81/2018 (Art. 120).

Personal-status context: marriage & age

Lebanon has no unified civil minimum marriage age; each religious community’s personal-status law sets its own rules, and some permit marriage below 18 (with judicial/guardian approval), which advocacy groups continue to challenge.

Penalties overview (selected)

What is not a crime

• Consensual same-sex intimacy in private: several court rulings say Article 534 should not be used for private, adult same-sex relations (though police harassment still occurs).
• Premarital sex between unmarried adults (in private): not specifically criminalized; public indecency laws can apply to public acts.

“Old punishments” still applied today?

Lebanon does not use religious corporal punishments (e.g., stoning/flogging) in its courts. Capital punishment remains in the Penal Code, but Lebanon has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004 (death sentences are still issued, mostly in non-sexual violent crimes).

Two “old” issues that still matter in practice: (1) Article 534 remains on the books and is sometimes used to target LGBTQ people despite contrary rulings; and (2) adultery is still a criminal offence.

Practical cautions for travelers

• Privacy: Keep intimacy private; avoid public indecency issues.
• Hotels & ID: Expect ID checks and guest rules.
• Online content: Avoid sharing/hosting pornography; some sites are blocked and CSAM is strictly criminalized.
• LGBTQ visitors: Understand Article 534 risk despite acquittal precedents; events have faced administrative bans and police scrutiny.