The UAE Announces Unique Penalty For Accused Drivers

A recent decision made by a traffic court in Al Ain resulted in the imposition of a fine of Dh50,000 among three drivers, the suspension of their licenses for a period of three months, and the seizure of their vehicles. In addition to that, the court stipulated that they clean the streets where they had conducted their exploits.

The incident, which was brought to light by recordings that became popular on social media, not only caused damage to the public road, but it also posed a threat to the safety of individuals who were in the vicinity of the road. This caused the authorities to act, which ultimately resulted in the drivers being arrested and additional legal actions being initiated.

We sought the opinion of legal professionals to acquire a better understanding of the punishment that involves providing convicts with the need to perform community service, notably in the form of cleaning the streets.

A legal consultant with Awatif Mohamed Shoqi advocacy and legal consultation named Hassan Elhais has voiced his support for community service as a viable solution to the problem.

Elhais asserts that community service serves a variety of reasons, including the prevention of individuals who have been accused of vandalism, the promotion of reform, the enhancement of responsibility, and the provision of a first-hand understanding of the consequences and expenses that are consequent to vandalism.

“It is perfect because it enhances responsibility so that he does not repeat the crime and see with his own eyes the effort and cost expended in places of vandalism or the resulting damage,” Hassan said in an interview. “Whether it is the fatigue of workers cleaning the roads or the cost of the government in repairing the streets and the damage,” Hassan said.

The legal issues of the sentence were explained in greater detail by Barney Almazar, who is a director at Gulf Law’s corporate-commercial section.

Specifically, he emphasized that small offenses, such as traffic violations, might result in a variety of punishments, including monetary penalties, community work, or even jail time. In reference to the pertinent sections of the Penal Code, Almazar brought attention to the fact that the driving license could be revoked as a measure that would result in disqualification.

He argued that community service has been shown to be beneficial in altering the behavior of criminals and acting as a deterrence for future offenses. He reached this conclusion by drawing on his own personal experiences.

In addition to this, it offers offenders an educational component, which enables them to realize the impact that their acts have had on the community.