Domestic Abuse Legal in UAE

A man can beat his wife and kids to discipline them as long as he leaves no marks, the United Arab Emirates' Federal Supreme Court has ruled. The ruling was made in relation to a case in which a man beat up his wife, who sustained injuries to her mouth, and inflicted bruises on his 23-year-old daughter. Since he left marks on them, he was fined $136; he appealed the decision. Islamic law gives men the right to discipline their wife and children as an option of last resort (the first two options are admonition and then abstaining from sleeping with one's wife).

"If the husband abuses this right to discipline, he cannot be exempted from punishment," wrote the chief justice. The court also stated that disciplining children after they reach adulthood is also not permitted. Read the full article. (More Islamic law stories.)