Is a marriage contract performed by a state judge as guardian still valid if he mistakenly states the bride's father's name?

Summary

In the Shafi'i school, the bride must be specifically identified (ta`yin) in the contract, whether by her name, a gesture or her distinctive attributes, and the contract is void if she is not identified. According to this fatwa, if the judge-guardian mistakes the father's name, the marriage remains valid as long as the bride has been identified to the groom, the guardian and the two witnesses. The error in the father's name is not significant because the identification is supported by her actual name, gestures and characteristics known at the ceremony.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.