The Attorney General has given courts in the UAE the power to deal with more crimes using financial penalties instead of jail sentences.
The decision by Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi allows prosecutors to punish 13 further offences with a fine.
The list includes drug possession, public drunkenness and driving with a suspended licence.
A person caught with a quantity of drugs that would be classed as for personal use would not have to be sent to jail.
Someone caught with drugs would be fined between Dh10,000 and Dh30,000 ($2,720-$8,170) if it was their first offence, rising to Dh50,000 if it were their third.
Tough laws remain in place for drug smuggling, with a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum death sentence, if pursued by prosecutors.
In total, there are now 41 offences that would have carried jail terms that could now be dealt with by fines by prosecutors in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have their own attorneys general and court systems.
Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/06/02/uae-attorney-general-downgrades-penalties-for-drug-use-and-alcohol-misuse/
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