Kuwait Amends Penal Code: New Authority Granted to Public Prosecutor for Inmate Release

04/05/2025

Kuwait Amends Penal Code: New Authority Granted to Public Prosecutor for Inmate Release

KUWAIT CITY, May 4: A new legislative amendment has been enacted through Decree-Law No. (64) of 2025, revising Article 91 of the Penal Code originally issued under Law No. 16 of 1960. According to Article 1 of the new decree, the amended Article 91 now stipulates the following:

The Public Prosecutor shall have the authority to issue a release order upon a request submitted by the Minister of Interior or his authorized representative. This action must follow the recommendation of a specialized committee established by the Minister of Interior's decision.

The committee shall include representatives from the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Interior and will be tasked with reviewing release applications.
The committee is responsible for evaluating whether the convict’s behavior during incarceration demonstrates genuine rehabilitation and whether their release would pose any risk to public security.
Should circumstances warrant, the release order may be revoked by the Public Prosecutor, again based on a request from the Minister of Interior or his representative, and following a recommendation from the committee as mentioned earlier.