UAE legal reforms: what the new law says about products containing cannabis extracts
A Dubai court has overruled a final deportation sentence of a man in a drug case.
The emirate's Criminal Court of First Instance ruled against its previous judgment after taking into account the newly amended drug laws that were introduced last year.
The revised verdict may open a window of hope for others who are convicted of consuming drugs.
A change in the law removes mandatory deportation for drug offenders and, from January 2, 2022, gives judges greater sentencing discretion.
My client has been living in the UAE along with his family which owns a business he runs, for over 30 years. Deporting him breaks the family apart
Mohammad Al Redha,
defence lawyer
The case dates to November 30, 2020, when the Indian man, 38, was arrested for smoking hashish.
Police officers found drugs at his home in Downtown Dubai and lab tests confirmed he had consumed hashish.
On March 3, 2021, the Criminal Court of First Instance fined him Dh5,000 and ordered his deportation.
The man’s Emirati lawyer Mohammad Al Redha, submitted a plea requesting the verdict be revised based on Article 75 of the new anti-narcotics law which made deportation in such cases optional for judges.
In his plea, Mr Al Redha also cited Article 14 of the country’s new Penal Code. which stipulates that if the new law eases a certain penalty, it is permissible for the court that issued the final judgment to reconsider its verdict.
“My client has been living in the UAE along with his family which owns a business he runs, for over 30 years. Deporting him breaks the family apart,” Mr Al Redha said.
“He is not a criminal and has no criminal record, and I don’t believe there is any reason to believe he will break the law again.”
Based on his plea, the court revised its verdict and cancelled the man’s deportation on February 7.
In its verdict, the court said that Federal Law number 30 of 2021 is the law that is more valid for the accused.
Federal Law number 30 of 2021 includes rehabilitation of first-time drug offenders, instead of punishing them.
“The new verdict was issued based on documents that prove the convict's residency and business, and the fact that he has no criminal record,” the verdict read.
People convicted in drug-use cases are now able to submit petitions to prosecutors with legal documents that support the reasons for which they think their deportation should be cancelled.
“This case opens a door of hope for other people who were involved in drug use and deportation orders were issued against them,” Mr Al Redha said.
“Most of them have left families behind and separating them from their families through deportation exposes them to even bigger dangers than drugs.”
He said those who have already been deported for being involved in drug-use or possession cases could also submit requests.
“They can hire a lawyer to handle the process and if they have businesses or families here, that will very much support their request,” Mr Al Redha said.
Prosecutors receive these requests, then review if all required legal documents have been provided before referring the request to the court that issued the judgment.
UAE legal reforms — in pictures
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
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Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
