Huge fines, ‘long-term’ jail for those storming justice places – Bill penalizes court house gatherings

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: The Council of Ministers has referred a new draft law to the National Assembly for approval, reports Al-Shahed daily. This draft law No 146, which carries a fine of not exceeding KD 3,000 and imprisonment of not more than three years, is addition to the penal law which prevents the gathering of five people or more in and around court houses and places where people are subjected to trial. The same law also carries a fine of not more than KD 5,000 and a fine of not more than five years for persons who storm the places of ‘justice houses’.

The law states if any person breaks into these places of justice and as a result causes damage to public property or assaults any member of the judiciary or personnel from the General Department for Investigation or any of the employees, the penalty will be KD 10,000 fine maximum and imprisonment of not more than seven years.

The fine will be doubled in case of a repeat offence. Meanwhile, one paragraph added to Article 251 of the penal law states that any person responsible for damaging or causing the sinking of a ‘marine vessel’ will be fined KD 500 and jailed for three years maximum. Meanwhile, the issue of ‘beach barbecue’ has surfaced once again, but this time it has come with full force because the offender will not only have to pay KD 500 fine, but will have to face the Public Prosecution, reports Al-Rai daily.

The sources pointed the Municipality has determined a fine of between KD 300 and KD 500 for violators of the law and referral to the Public Prosecution if the issue is not settled within two weeks following which the violator may be jailed for an undefined period. The daily added, there is a possibility of installing surveillance cameras along the beaches which are normally visited by expatriates in large numbers.

However, this is subject to availability of funds. The daily added, the Municipal Council is expected to meet next Sunday to chalk out a strategy and put in place a mechanism to impose control over the beaches in cooperation with the environmental police to prevent visitors to the beach from barbecuing according to a decision issued by the Environment Public Authority.

The daily added, the beaches will be monitored round the clock by inspectors. In another development, on the sidelines of the seventh session of the Kuwait-British Joint Steering Group held in Kuwait, Kuwait’s Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Passports Affairs at the Ministry of Interior Major- General Sheikh Mazen Alú-Jarrah Alú-Sabah said the Group discussed the issue of illegal residents or the so-called Bedoun in Kuwait, reports Al-Rai daily.

Al-Jarrah added, during a previous meeting the sides had agreed on a mechanism to deal with the files of Bedoun and had provided the British side with information and documents that have been checked. He cited the case of eight people living in Britain, one of whom was deported from Kuwait because he entered the country illegally and the British side supported our move. As for the cases of the other seven people, Al-Jarrah said Kuwait is providing the British side with documents.

He added, the British side has requested necessary documents to extradite them to Kuwait, taking into consideration their freedom to decide whether to return to Kuwait or remain in Britain. Al-Jarrah added Kuwait is under obligation to provide the British side documents valid for 3 months. He added, these persons are wanted by law, and if they want to return to Kuwait, we are ready to receive them just as we have received two cases earlier.

Also, the committee headed by Director of Public Investigation Department Major General Dr Fahd Al-Dosari is preparing the final text of the executive bylaw of DNA law no. 78/2015, Al-Anba daily quoted reliable sources. The same sources expected the committee will complete adaptation of the bylaw and refer it to the Cabinet to begin implementation of the law which came into effect since last August.

They indicated the committee members have been discussing the possibility of linking the transactions of citizens and residents to DNA and weighing more flexible regulations to encourage citizens and residents to conduct DNA to achieve social satisfaction, as observed in the application of law by the Ministry of Interior few months ago to collect unlicensed weapons. They emphasized the bylaw of maintaining confidentiality of DNAis a top priority and DNA will only be used for the purpose of national security. They added the law will be applicable to visitors once they enter the country

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