Abu Dhabi: The UAE may change the Personal Status Law, issued in 2005, the Federal National Council (FNC) was told on Tuesday.
Dr Hadef Bin Jua'an Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, told the FNC a panel had been set up to study remarks gathered from judges on the law.
"The panel is of the view that certain provisions of the law need to be changed," Dr Al Daheri said in a statement, which did not specify which provisions were going to be changed.
Social issues
The Ministry of Justice, Dr Al Daheri said, will study the changes suggested by the panel and present them to higher authorities for approval.
He was responding to a question submitted by Ahmad Shabib Al Daheri, first deputy speaker of the council. The lawmaker from Abu Dhabi said that four years of enforcement of the law showed certain provisions should be changed and more social issues had to be included.
"Important issues such as abandoning senior citizens in hospitals and domestic violence should be stated as punishable crimes in the Personal Status Law."
One of the main concerns of foreigners is the inheritance rights of foreigners who leave estates in the UAE. The Personal Status Law states the devisable estates of foreigners may be subject to: the laws of their respective countries of citizenship; the laws of their last domicile; the laws of the country where the property is located; or the laws of the place of business of the deceased.
Rights
While the Personal Status Law is silent as to inheritance rights of foreigners in possession of UAE realty, it declares as void all other UAE laws which conflict with the provision of the Personal Status Law. It is important to note in the event of the death of any purchaser of a property, the property would not necessarily pass entirely to the spouse.
