Law No.17: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence

Brief Description

Law No. (17) was adopted in August 2015. The Law defines domestic violence in its first article as: “Any act of abuse that occurs within the family setting and that is perpetrated by ‘the aggressor’ against ‘the victim’.” Acts of abuse are divided into four categories, defined as follows:
1. Physical abuse: attacking the physical integrity of the victim by any means;
2. Psychological abuse: any act that causes psychological harm to the victim including insults and slander;
3. Sexual abuse: according to the Act, this involves any of the following actions by the aggressor towards the victim:
(a) Sexual assault, or the coercion or exploitation of the victim, using any means, to satisfy the sexual desires of the aggressor or of a third party;
(b) Exposing the victim to sexual materials or sexualized behaviour;
4. Economic abuse: any act that deprives the victim of the right or freedom to dispose of personal assets, in such a way as to cause harm to the victim.

Some of the executive decisions issued as a part of implementing the law include:
- The promulgation of the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs & Endowments Decree No. (7) for the year 2017 on the authorization of some employees of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development as judicial inspectors in accordance with the provisions of Article (6) of Law No. (17) of the year 2015 on protection against domestic violence.
- The Decree of the Minister of Labor & Social Development No. (26) for the year 2017 on the conditions and procedures for licensing the Family Guidance Centers.