Shura Committees tackle Child Law gap and plan to create Sports Support Fund
Lawmakers are seeking to close a legal gap in the Child Law that has allowed people to be punished without the offence being clearly set out in writing.
A proposal now with the government aims to amend Article 63 of the 2012 statute to make clear that running or changing the site of a nursery is only a crime when done without a licence or without the Ministry of Education's say-so.
The current version of the law, as it stands, imposes penalties in sweeping terms.
It refers to anyone who sets up or operates a nursery, or alters its premises or features, without stating what makes these actions unlawful.
Those behind the amendment argue this runs foul of Article 20 of the Constitution, which says no one may face punishment unless the act is clearly defined by law.
Offence The suggested change spells out the offence in plain terms: operating without a licence or making changes without the ministry's agreement. It was put forward by Shura Council members Fatima Abduljabbar Al Koohiji, Mohammed Ali Hassan Ali, Abdulaziz Abul, Ebtisam Al Dallal and Leena Habib Qassim. The Women and Child Affairs Committee, chaired by Qassim, reviewed the proposal across eight meetings and passed a report to the Council. It was discussed in a sitting and then referred to the government.
Bill The same committee also examined a government bill amending the 2021 Reform Justice for Children and Protection from Maltreatment Law. That text, attached to Decree No. 95 of 2024, is likewise with the government. These were among three pieces of draft legislation examined during the third sitting year of the current Shura term, which saw 16 committee meetings in total. The Youth Affairs Committee met five times and backed a plan to create a Sports Support Fund.
Public purse
The idea is to help finance private sector sporting ventures without dipping into the public purse.
The proposal was submitted by Redha Ibrahim Munfaredi, who chairs the committee, along with Dalal Jassim Al Zayed, Ali Abdulla Al Aradi, Hesham Hashem Al Qassab and Ali Hussain Al Shihabi.
It passed through the Council and has been handed to the government for drafting.
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