Harassment Senior judge says tougher laws to fight crimes against women will better reflect the needs of a modern society

A senior UAE judge said a move to impose tougher punishments for crimes against women highlighted the importance of laws keeping pace with shifts in social and cultural attitudes.

Crucial reforms to the country’s legal system were announced on Saturday to further protect the rights of women.

The amendments included stronger penalties for men who subject women to harassment of any kind, which is thought to cover street harassment or stalking.

The new laws will also strike out the distinction between crimes against women, such as assault, and “honour crimes” committed by a male against a female relative under the guise of “protecting honour”.

“There are a number of social and cultural changes and as society changes, so too must the law,” said Judge Ahmed Saif, head of the

Dubai Civil Court and former chief justice of Dubai’s criminal courts.

“We are in a rapidly developing world across all sectors and this means everyone needs to adapt and develop, including legislators.

“Legislators have to keep up with the changes and make law amendments accordingly.”

He stressed that the law should reflect the country’s moral code and ensure that all residents feel safe.

“We live in an open community and people need to walk freely without having to worry about someone harassing them,” he said.

The UAE has made significant strides to strengthen its

The country has made significant strides to strengthen its harassment laws in recent years

harassment laws in recent years.

Last December, the charge of sexual harassment was added to the country’s penal code.

The legal definition of sexual harassment was expanded to include repetitive harassment through actions, words or even signs that are intended to coax the recipient into responding to the offender’s sexual desires – or the desires of another.

Further amendments also looked at men as potential victims, not only as perpetrators, and increased the penalty to a minimum of one year in prison, a fine no more than Dh10,000 or both.

The legal reforms will raise the maximum fine for sexual harassment to Dh100,000.

“The new laws will have more teeth when it comes to sexual crimes,” said Hesham Elrafei, legal expert and founder of Lex Animata TV.

A large part of Sharia, or Islamic law, was written by scholars centuries ago, in a different era and across different societies, Mr Elrafei said.

He said the UAE was taking the opportunity to update its laws to better reflect the needs of a modern society.

Formerly, the law on harassment specified that it had to have taken place publicly while an amendment made in December last year includes all forms, regardless of location.

“The latest changes made to the law add another layer of protection against offences of sexual nature,” said Yousef Al Bahar, an Emirati criminal lawyer and head of Al Bahar and Associates Advocates.

Another expert welcomed the changes to the legal system.

“These amendments are reflective of a UAE that is tolerant and open to different nationalities and religions,” said Hadeya Hamad, a lawyer at Hadeya Hamad Advocacy and Legal Consultants.