His Highness The President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has authorised a new set of laws to ensure the well-being of inhabitants. A new and revised Federal Crime and Punishment Law have also been implemented as part of the new reform. The new law promotes public safety, protects women, and relaxes limitations on extramarital partnerships. The law will go into force on January 2, 2022.
According to the new rule, consenting to extramarital intercourse with a person above the age of 18 can be prosecuted as a crime only if the husband or guardian files a complaint. In all circumstances, the husband or guardian has the ability to withdraw the complaint, which results in the criminal case being dropped or the sentence being suspended, depending on the situation. Consensual relationships outside of marriage are basically decriminalised under the new law. Any kid born as a result of the connection is recognised and will be cared for. Any couple who conceives a child out of wedlock will be required to marry or acknowledge the child singly or jointly, as well as provide identification papers and travel documents by the laws of the country of which either is a national, taking into account the applicable laws of that nation. Failing to do so will result in a criminal prosecution with a two-year jail sentence for both correspondents.
