I agree with Alaa that the sentence is hard to understand.

I don't think you can say:
Damascus Court of/for Personal Affairs for Guardianship (because it won't make much sense)


Just another suggestion.

HTH

It is difficult to ascertain the meaning without further context, but hereunder is an attempt.

Most probably this refers to an application before Damascus Court for Matrimonial Causes. I would assume this application is made by a woman who wants to marry her self as she does not have male guardians. As such she is her own guardian.

Another rendering could have something to do with a child/minor who reached the age of majority and no longer needs the guardianship of an adult.

محكمة الأحوال الشخصية is basically equivalent to Family Court. This term has been literally translated into Court of Personal Affairs, Personal Affairs Court and Court of Personal Statutes simply because the concept of Family Court does not exist in the judicial systems of the Arab world. The concept of family affairs is subsumed under الأحوال الشخصية.

Family court is a court that has jurisdiction and often advisory powers over domestic disputes involving the rights and duties of husband, wife, parent, or child especially in matters affecting the support, custody, and welfare of children.

الولاية على النفس is guardianship and more so wardship. The awkwardness of the double للأحوال and للولاية in Arabic seems to be the source of confusion. However, this can be resolved idiomatically like so:

Damascus Family Court - Wardship Jurisdiction

with jurisdiction meaning "اختصاص".

If you feel more comfortable with surface plane translation, you may use this:

Damascus Personal Affairs Court - Wardship Jurisdiction

The former is better.

Cheers
Ali




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-12-18 12:43:31 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sami -- I have asked a relevant source in Syria about this one and the answer is as follows:

محكمة دمشق للأحوال الشخصية للواضاية على النفس هي محكمة مستقلة في إطار المحاكم الشرعية تختص بالوصاية على القاصرين .
I hope this will be useful.

Cheers
Ali






--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-12-18 12:44:05 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

للوصاية

Damascus Court for Personal Status for Legal Administration (tutelle sur la personne).