Sharjah judiciary moves to unify personal status judgements

Sharjah: The Sharjah Judicial Department has rolled out new guidelines to unify court rulings in personal status cases, placing stronger emphasis on assessing alimony and education expenses in line with a father’s actual financial income.

The framework, issued in line with the directives of the Ruler of Sharjah, aims to address long-standing challenges in family law while promoting consistency across judicial decisions in the emirate. It requires courts to consider a father’s income and economic circumstances when determining maintenance obligations and school fees, whether at the stage of issuing judgements or during enforcement.

The guidelines also introduce greater flexibility, recognising that financial circumstances may change over time. Judges are empowered to review and adjust rulings in cases of significant increases or decreases in income, ensuring that obligations remain fair and realistic.

As part of efforts to support implementation, the Judicial Inspection Department recently held a coordination meeting to review key challenges faced by Personal Status judges and to discuss practical solutions to strengthen judicial consistency.

The meeting was chaired by Judge Dr Salama Rashid Al Katbi, Head of the Judicial Inspection Department, and attended by Judge Saeed Masoud Al Kalbani, Head of the Sharjah Family Court, Judge Sulaiman Al Kaabi, Head of Khorfakkan Court, along with judicial inspectors and judges from the Family, Personal Status and Enforcement Courts across the emirate.

Discussions focused on issues arising in personal status cases, particularly those linked to maintenance rulings and enforcement procedures, with an emphasis on achieving a balance between fairness and judicial efficiency.

The Sharjah Judicial Council reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring consistency in judgments issued by courts across the emirate, while preserving judicial discretion. The council also stressed the importance of respectful and professional treatment of all litigants throughout the judicial process.