UAE overhauls laws on family, criminal issues

Dubai - These changes to the personal and civil code will make it easier for expats to resolve disputes, and promote multiculturalism.

The UAE has announced landmark reforms to the country’s personal and civil laws covering inheritance, women’s safety, suicide, Good Samaritans and alcohol consumption.

The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a number of decrees to amend some provisions of the Federal Personal Status Law, the Federal Civil Transactions Law, the Federal Penal Code, and the Federal Criminal Procedure Law.

These changes to the personal and civil code will make it easier for expats to resolve disputes, and promote multiculturalism.

The decrees come within the framework of the UAE’s continuous endeavour to develop its legislative structure in line with the country’s commitment to the principle of tolerance and to boost its status as one of the world’s most attractive destinations socially and economically for foreign expertise and investment.

On expats’ wills and inheritance

The new law gives expats living in the UAE to use the laws of their home countries in dealing with affairs like inheritance. At the time of an expat’s death, wills and estates can be managed based on the Personal Status Law of his/her country of nationality. New changes to the Personal Status Code also mean that the laws of the country in which the marriage took place would be applied with regards to the marriage terms instead of the previous provisions which applied the laws of each spouse’s country of nationality.

On suicide

Suicide attempts and self-harm are usually punishable by law. Now, under the amendments to the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedures Law, acts that do not harm others and only cause self-harm is not considered criminal. People who are found to have harmed themselves shall be referred for mental health treatment.

On Good Samaritans

People, who tried to help others but have instead inflicted unintended harm, won’t be held accountable under the new modifications.

On honour killings

In affirmation of the state’s commitment to protecting women’s rights and strengthening the principle of the rule of law, the article that provides a mitigating excuse for so-called ‘honour crimes’ has been cancelled, whereby murder crimes are treated in accordance with the provisions in force in the penal code. Cases of honour killings will now be entirely subject to the penal code.

The landmark changes that the UAE has introduced to a number of its laws show how the country is keeping up with the times, an Emirati lawyer has said.