The UAE sets out legal overhaul of personal and family law on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has embarked on one of the most significant overhauls of the legal system in years, with changes to family law and other areas affecting people’s daily lives. It is a significant service of the country’s Islamic personal laws, authorizing unmarried couples to coitus and losing alcohol constraints. The laws effective instantly, reflect progressive measures to enhance living standards and for the UAE to continue to be a destination for foreign direct investment and people from across the globe.
Change to existing laws and the introduction of new laws look to regulate vital personal and civil laws, with a plan permitting non-Emiratis to have their personal affairs dealt with as per to the law of their home country. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is home to more than 200 nationalities and is accommodating to their requirements. Improvements will influence laws that compare to divorce and parting, how wills and assets are divided, suicide, divided, suicide and the security of women.
Plenty of these propositions have been considered in the UAE for some time and reveal a significant breakthrough in the country’s continued judicial process.
Harassment And Assault
Various changes are looking to protect the rights of women. There will no longer be a distinction of crime known as “honour crimes”, where a male relative can obtain a lighter sentence for assaulting a female relative under the guise of “protecting honour”. Instead, such incidents will be treated as crimes, same to any other assault.
Divorce And Inheritance
Divorce and inheritance is one of the vital developments relates to divorce, separation and the division of assets if a marriage breaks down. If a couple were married in their home country, although get a divorce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the laws of the country where the marriage took place will apply. The new law highlight joint assets and joint accounts and that the courts could be called on to mediate of there was no agreement amid the two parties. The changes also cover will and inheritance.
Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption is no longer a criminal offence. If anyone who drinks or has an alcohol or sells alcoholic beverages in authorized regions without an alcohol license will not face a fine. Earlier, such prosecutions would be rare; however, a person could be charged for consuming alcohol without a license if they were arrested for another offence. But this will no longer take place in the new law.
In the UAE, an individual yet must be at least 21 years old to drink legally, and anyone found selling alcohol to someone considered underage will be punished.
Cohabitation For Unmarried Couples
The law will permit the legal cohabitation of unmarried couples for the first time. Till now it has been banned for an unmarried couple, or even separate flatmates, to share a home in the Emirates.
Judicial Process
The new law mandates that in court translator are offered for defendants and witnesses if they do not speak Arabic. The court must make sure legal translator are available. Along with this, new privacy laws signifies that evidence related to cases of indecent acts will have to be protected and cannot be publicly disclosed.
Suicide
Suicide and endeavoured suicide will be decriminalized. Until now, those who tried to take their life but survived could have been prosecuted, though such occurrences were rare, if not still of. Courts and police would make sure exposed people receive mental-health support. Although, anyone found helping a person with an attempted suicide will face an indefinite jail sentence. The law will make sure “Good Samaritans” who happen in situations where people are in requirement cannot be held responsible for the outcome of those they assist.
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