The Dubai Cassation Court overturned the verdict of the Appeal Court which upheld stiff penalties against Emirati juveniles who have been convicted for killing the 'Al Rashidiya boy'.
The court ordered an appeal circuit and jury other than the one that has heard the case to reconvene and re-hear it, defence lawyer Mohammed Al Saadi, told Emirates 24|7.
The Appeal Court has in October upheld the verdict of the First Instance Court issued in July and ordered five juveniles: HMA, 16, ten years in jail, which is the stiffest penalty as per Juvenile Law; AMA, 17, 5 years in jail, and landing the other three SHA, 14, and two brothers in a juvenile delinquency centre.
Al Saadi, however, refused to comment on the ruling of the Cassation Court and the causes for overturning the Appeal Court’s sentence. “In Juvenile cases we are not allowed to reveal to the media nor the basis of a court’s ruling, neither our defence points. However, all I can say is that we have submitted a strong defence".
According to Article No 9 of the Juvenile Law a juvenile shall not be sentenced with execution or imprisonment, or financial penalty. Article No 10 states that in cases that a juvenile deserved execution or imprisonment, these penalties should be replaced with no more than 10 years jail term. Article No 7 of the same law states that should a juvenile complete seven years of age and did not reach the age of 16 and committed a penal crime, the judge has the right to impose any disciplinary sentence instead other than jail such as delinquency and rehabilitation centre, vocational training, or prevention from visiting certain places. Emirates 24|7
