Abu Dhabi Mistreating pets, eating or drinking in public during Ramadan, violating the car window tint rule, and other such minor offences will be punishable by up to 240 hours of community service under a new law, an official said.

A draft law allowing people who commit certain minor offences to repent in public by doing community service instead of spending time in jail or paying fines will take effect immediately," said Lieutenant Colonel Saif Obaid Al Khaili, director of the Community Service Department at the Interior Ministry.

The law will not cover offenders who have already been sentenced.

Al Khaili, also chair of the committee on alternative penalties, said the length of community service will be determined in coordination with a number of ministries and governmental departments, including the Ministry of Social Affairs, the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Abu Dhabi Municipality, General Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Authority.

The draft law provides for ordering offenders to do voluntary work, work with people with special needs, work for the municipality, or the Islamic Affairs departments in cleaning and maintaining mosques across the country, work for public charitable and awareness campaigns such as anti-smoking drives and blood drives.

On March 15, the Cabinet approved the proposal.

The proposal would require approval of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to become law.

Under the draft law, community service of between 20 and 240 hours would be imposed on people who commit 20 minor offences, including harassing women in public, which at present carries a jail term of up to one year, a fine, or both.

The draft law, Al Khaili said, would also provide for undergoing rehabilitation courses.

"Whoever attempts to disgrace a female by words or by deeds in a public street or frequented place, shall be ordered to put community service ranging between 20 and 240 hours and shall undergo training courses of not more than 160 hours," according to Article 1 of the draft law.

At present, the UAE Penal Code states that this offence is punishable by detention for a period not exceeding one year and by a fine not exceeding Dh10,000, or by either of these two penalties.

Al Khaili said enforcing community service would improve the mental state of convicted people and help them integrate back into society without any notable psychological effects.

Fact file: New rules

- Eating or drinking in public during Ramadan will carry up to 150 hours of community service or a training course of not more than 150, or both.

- Violating the 30 per cent car window tint rule will bring up to 150 hours of community service or a training course of not more than 50 hours, or both.

- Mistreating animals will carry up to 20 hours of community service or a training course of not more than 20 hours, or both.

- Driving carelessly will bring up to 240 hours of community service or a training course of not more than 100 hours, or both.

Do you support this initiative? Will it lower the number of offences committed? How much of an impact will this make on the community?


Your comments


This will minimise minor crimes. Getting involved in commnunity service is a good start for everybody.
JUN
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 18:06

I appreciate this initiative and hope it will be strongly implemented especially women who are being harrassed.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 16:10

Good.
Ahmad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 15:30

I think it's a step in the right direction. I must say, that I agree with B. Smith on the sentence for mistreating animals isn't as tough as it should be. I also agree that the new law must cover each and everyone. This kind of sentence has a much bigger effect on the violaters as far as repenting, than it does to pay an amount of money. I also would like to add, that not only is it a form of repenting but it forces people of all nationalities and classes to be in help of the comunity and engaging in charitable work.
Nadia Hussain Al Kabani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 15:18

Certainly, it will help the society as well as minor offenders. It is a great decision, I welcome wholeheartedly and it is a real change in the society not for the just sake of change. This model should be followed by many other countries too.
Chuttugulla
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 14:13

Can we also have a law to punish people who disgrace a male 'by words or by deeds in a public street or frequented place' as well please?
Doug
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 14:02

This is a humane way of treating people. I think this will lower the number of offenses committed.
Cheryl Pedrera
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 13:28

This is a great step towards building a better community, especially people's views towards animals. This has to be highlighted as it is unacceptable the way animals are being treated by some people in this part of the world.
Aline Mansour
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 13:02

This is the best way to punish, but what about the people like me to be involved in some sort of community service without ever punished, i have never been in interaction with local community, this can be a learning experience. There should also be voluntary community service where people can register and participate in some sort of development or training.
Abdul Nazeer
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 12:52

Fantastic Concept. At least this way the country will benefit from people's mistakes and offenders should be suitably embarrassed by the public nature of their punishment to previent them doing it again.
Richard
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 12:32

Excellent. Appreciate this kind of things which will make a person realise the person about his mistake which will prevent him/her to repeat again. This sort of punishment is really appreciable.
Eddy
Dammam,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Posted: April 13, 2009, 12:12

Definitely this brings the changes in the society and a discipline among the people. I'm convinced with this new law.
Zakir
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 12:02

For me, I think it's a very good idea because right now there's a lot of offenders who don't care and not afraid to do those things especially the drivers here. They don't have respect for the people who sit for their taxi. Always shouting and treated us badly then take more than the charge of the meter. Sometimes they dont want to bring people if we will not pay more than the meter. But most of all reckless drivers without care. This happen to me many times. That's why I'm hoping that they will be punished.
Lorna Suazo
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 11:39

That's a very good move. I'm sure it will reduce the amount of minor offences to an extent.
amit saraf
dubai,uae
Posted: April 13, 2009, 11:04

I think this will prove to be extremely beneficial as long as it is enforced and no individual is to be excluded. It is a concept that is quite successful in the western countries and as UAE is coming at par with the west it is a suitable punishment that needs to be implemented.
Nasreen
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 10:48

Well this is a great initiative, to clean the minds of the people, definately the offences will be decreased and it would have a good impact on the society
Zuber Dabhi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 10:47

Strongly recommend punishing the people who are eating or drinking in public during Ramadan will carry up to 150 hours of community service or a training course of not more than 150, or both.
Mohammad Althaf
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 10:00

This new law will be very useful to the community. It will be a chance to re-think the accused to change their attitude and lead a new life. In the meantime it will be a lesson to the person who committed the crime as well as to the community in general.
Majeed K. M.
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 09:41

Ok! It was a very good and reasonable rules. But it must be applied to everyone.
From A Reader
Ras Al Khaimah,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 09:39

Great idea, they can start by sending offenders to all the beautiful places that people have destroyed with their litter, starting with the Hatta pools.
Jason
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 07:58

This is a very good step from the authorities, I am using a company car and as per the rules its not allowed to use tint. During summer time it's very hard to use car without tinted windows.
Abdul Rafeek
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 07:36

Well initiative has taken up by the authorities to manage.
Pratik Kumar Shrivastava
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 13, 2009, 07:32