DOHA: Qatar is planning a major overhaul of its criminal laws to ensure their sustainability in future and their focus will be on prevention of crime rather than punishment.
The Minister of Justice said yesterday plans were afoot to review all criminal and penal laws that are older than 10 years in close coordination with the authorities concerned.
A criminal law is the body of penal laws that are about imposing penalties for various crimes.
The revision will be done in close coordination with the Ministry of Interior, Public Prosecution, judiciary and the community as a whole.
A vision for the future will be made and its aim will be to help prevent crime (before it is committed), said H E Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr Al Mohannadi.
He didn’t give further details. He was talking to Qatar News Agency on the sidelines of the ongoing 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice here.
The minister said the focus of the justice ministry is on raising social awareness about various laws to ensure prevention of crime. Awareness is raised through workshops, seminars and training programs in which members of the public are encouraged to participate.
The Minister hinted that Qatar planned to review its penal and criminal laws with a view to exploring the possibility of amending them so they are compatible with the changing times.
He said that for Qatar holding the UN Congress is a great opportunity to learn from the experiences of other countries. It also is an opportunity to share our experiences with the world, said the minister.
Al Mohannadi added that these laws will be reviewed in collaboration with the ministry of interior, public prosecutors and the judiciary along with the community to examine their appropriateness for the future as well as their role in crime reduction, and to develop a future vision to prevent crimes before they occur.
The Qatari legal system aims at achieving the security and justice for all members of society and Qatar has made great strides in the fight against cybercrime.
About electronic crimes, Dr Al Mohannadi said that a centre for the electronic security has been approved and will be launched soon and that e-security project is implemented.
The Peninsula
