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UAE lists 30 offences, fines of up to Dh10,000 in new order

Abu Dhabi - Includes offences for eating and drinking in public during Ramadan, and issuing dud cheques.

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Public prosecutors in UAE have been given powers to issue or cancel criminal orders and impose fines in about 30 offences, including dud cheques, defamation, eating in the public during Ramadan, illegal stay in the country, traffic offences and others, according to a new decision.

UAE's Attorney General, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has issued a new decree No. 119 of 2019 on the penal order, which consists of five articles specifying the criminal orders and penalties that can be issued by public prosecutors according to their jurisdiction and grades.

The new decision has given members of the public prosecution, who are below the grade of chief prosecutor in their department, the powers to cancel or amend the criminal order issued by members of the public prosecution within seven days of its issuance.

The decree stipulates that the penal order shall be applied and the fine be prescribed for each of the crimes listed in the new decision.

The new decision has listed 30 offences and corresponding fines, including 21 from the Federal Penal Code, four from the Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 on the entry and residence of foreigners and its amendments, and five penalties from the Federal Law No. 21 of 1973 on traffic and its amendments. It also sets out fines ranging from Dh1,000 to Dh10,000 for the various offences.

Public prosecutors with a minimum grade of first prosecutor have been authorized to issue criminal orders and penalties to the Federal Penal Code regarding offences, including anyone who intentionally abuses or insults others by using telecommunications means will be fined Dh3,000. Prosecutors will also have the powers to punish a person who wrongly burns a property of another with a fine of Dh3,000.

The new decision allows the prosecutors to impose a fine of Dh2,000 to anyone caught eating or drinking in the public during the day in the month of Ramadan while a person attempting to commit suicide can be penalized with a Dh1,000 fine. Under the new decision, prosecutors can punish people defaming public officials by fining them Dh5,000.

The new decision also authorises prosecutors to punish anyone who stays in the country for a period not exceeding 90 days after their visa expires with a fine of Dh1,000.

According to the new decision, prosecutors can impose a fine of Dh2,000 to a person who stays in a hotel or rents a car or a lorry and he unjustifiably refrains from paying. And a person who gives out a dud cheque with a value of up to Dh100,000 can be punished with a fine of Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 if the cheque is worth Dh100,000 and Dh200,000.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

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