Khaberni - The UAE announced the reduction of the age of majority from 21 to 18 years aiming to establish a comprehensive and integrated legal framework, changing the way civil transactions are handled.
The official Emirati news agency "WAM" stated that the new law represents a pivotal legislative milestone and is part of the national legislative path that focuses on updating the legal framework, adopting a practical approach that simplifies the understanding of legal provisions, unifies legal references, and eliminates duplication with recently issued special laws.
The new Emirati law is characterized by expanding the scope of judicial discretion and granting judges greater flexibility when referring to the principles of Islamic Sharia in the absence of a legislative text. The new law allows the judge, in the absence of a legislative ruling that regulates an issue explicitly or by implication, to adhere to the principles of Sharia, choosing the most suitable solutions to achieve justice and interest according to the requirements of each case, without being restricted to a specific doctrine.
The Emirati agency stated: "The new law enhances the role of the judiciary in keeping up with societal developments and the challenges of modern transactions. It also stipulates that Islamic Sharia provisions apply in the absence of special laws regulating the matters of the unknown parentage, the missing, and the absent."
