The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a warning that offenders of the new rule would be subject to a fine of 200,000 dirhams beginning in the month of May.
A fine of up to Dh200,000 and maybe imprisonment are the penalties for breaking the mental health law in the United Arab Emirates.
It is anticipated that the recently enacted Federal Law will become operational on May 30, 2024.
It is possible for those who are assigned to treat or care for patients with mental health conditions in the United Arab Emirates to be subject to a fine of up to Dh200,000 and a minimum of one year in prison in the event that they mistreat or neglect the patient, resulting in the patient suffering a major injury or physical disability.
This occurs as a result of the recently enacted Federal Law No. 10 of 2023 on Mental Health, which includes a wide variety of new rules in addition to fines and penalties that are associated with patients who are receiving mental health treatment.
A new law in the UAE will be activated in May 2024.
In May 2024, the United Arab Emirates will put into effect a new law.
In accordance with the law, which was published in the Official Gazette on November 30, 2023, it will become operational on May 30, 2024.
According to Stephen Ballantine, senior counsel at Galadari Advocates and Legal Consultants, the law imposes severe penalties on individuals who intentionally provide inaccurate information with the intention of either having a person admitted or discharged from a mental health facility or, in bad faith, causing a person to be admitted in violation of the law.
The UAE sets penalties for violations of the Mental Health Law 2024.
When the Mental Health Law 2024 is violated, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposes fines.
Any individual who is responsible for the protection, care, or treatment of a mental health patient and who willfully mistreats or neglects that individual may be subject to a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of not less than Dh50,000 and not more than Dh100,000. If the patient suffers major damage or a physical disability as a result of the mistreatment or neglect, then the sentence of imprisonment is raised to a minimum of one year and/or a fine of between Dh100,000 and Dh200,000.
He stated that the penalties are increased by a factor of two in the event of recidivism. In addition to the liability for any regulatory violations committed by medical professionals that is provided for elsewhere or the civil liability that is imposed in accordance with the general law, these penalties are also applicable.
Additionally, the law imposes imprisonment or a fine of not less than Dh50,000 and not exceeding Dh200,000, or one of the two, if anyone intentionally states in his or her medical report a condition that is contrary to reality regarding the psychiatric condition of a person with the intention of admitting or discharging them from a mental health facility. This is the case regardless of whether the person is being admitted to or discharged from the facility.
Additionally, anyone who supports a person who is subject to obligatory admission in escaping will be penalized with imprisonment for a period of no more than three months, a fine of no less than Dh50,000 and not exceeding Dh100,000, or either of these two penalties.
In addition, Ballantine stated that the penalties were implemented in order to guarantee that those who were afflicted with mental health disorders were provided with the appropriate level of care and were treated with the respect that they deserved.
