Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has denied reports circulated by a local English-language newspaper about a plan by its courts to waive the penalty for adultery if the individuals involved were to marry, pointing out that the courts are meant to enforce the law and not to modify it.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ADJD also denied claims that such a plan was meant to reduce legal penalties on those who commit adultery, adding that the penal code does not list marriage as one of the alternatives to jail time in cases of adultery.
The department said that, even if the defendants in cases of adultery were to get married, they would still be liable for a physical relationship outside of wedlock.
The ADJD urged media houses to double-check information before publishing it especially in legal and judicial cases, observing that any inaccurate information leads to confusion in the minds of the general public who place their confidence in the law to uphold moral and religious values.
The Department said that it only applies alternative solutions to penalties in civil, personal, and commercial lawsuits, but not in cases that deal with violations of Sharia law as such cases go against the nature of the Emirati culture.
