Dubai judge calls for ‘tolerance’ sections to handle minor crimes

A Dubai judge has called for the establishment of ‘tolerance sections’ at the public prosecution and police stations to resolve minor disputes.

The chief judge’s tweet followed a decision by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan over the weekend to declare 2019 the country’s ‘Year of Tolerance’ through various legislative and policy-oriented goals.

Read: UAE President declares 2019 as ‘Year of Tolerance’

UAE President declares 2019 as ‘Year of Tolerance’

Judge Dr Ali Al Galadari welcomed the move on Twitter on Sunday and suggested one initiative could be tolerance sections to solve minor crimes with lenient sentencing.

أتمنى في هذا العام أن يكون هناك قسم للتسامح لحل الأمور البسيطة في الشرطة وكذلك الحال بالنسبة للنيابة العامة وغيرها #عام_التسامح

— د.علي كلداري (@DrAliGaladari) December 16, 2018

He later told Gulf News the ‘Year of Tolerance’ is an excellent initiative.

“There are several minor disputes, misdemeanours and offences between individuals that could be resolved tolerantly and forbearingly without escalating the matter and bringing it forward to court,” the judge was quoted as saying.

“I suggest that there should be special sections at public prosecution departments and police stations that handle such minor disputes and offences and talk the litigants into resolving the issue amicably and leniently.”

He added that crimes covered by the tolerance sections could include small offences like beating, cursing, written or verbal offence, breach of trust and crimes related to traffic accidents like insults or physical altercations.

In instances of personal insults, the sections would seek to convince litigants to be merciful and resolve a matter amicably.

The UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’ spans five pillars with the first focusing on encouraging the values of tolerance and co-existence among cultures and peoples by teaching the youth the values of tolerance.

The second pillar will seek to solidify the UAE’s position as a global capital for tolerance via series of initiatives and projects designed to encourage dialogue between cultures and civilisations.

The third pillar will involve enacting multiple programmes and contributions to build tolerant communities and the fourth on legislative and policy-oriented objectives that mandate cultural and religious tolerance via dialogue.

The fifth pillar will promote tolerance and co-existence via media initiatives and projects.