UAE women set to become federal judges

Dubai, Jan 6 (UNI) UAE women will soon be able to hold the coveted post of federal court judges , a top official said.

The Ministry of Justice is amending judiciary law to allow women to take up positions as judges and prosecutors at the federal level, Mohammad Bin Nakhira Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, told Gulf News yesterday.

''At present, the law states that only a Muslim man is entitled to assume the position of a judge,'' Mr Al Daheri said.

He added women are currently being trained at the Judicial Institute and will be prepared to work as judges in the courts and prosecutors in the public prosecutor's offices across the country once the law is amended.

If approved, the move would make the UAE the second Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member country to have women judges, after Bahrain.

In June 2006, Ms Mouna Jasem Al Kawari, a Bahraini woman, became the first female judge in the Gulf region. Other GCC countries have not as yet appointed female judges. Other Arab countries that have women judges include Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia.

UNI XC ARB KN1303