KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait has issued a decision to form a specialized committee tasked with reviewing and modernizing the country’s penal code, the ministry announced Tuesday. The move is part of a broader strategy to update the judicial system and align criminal legislation with contemporary legal and social standards.
“The step represents part of an integrated path to develop the judicial system, achieving a balance between safeguarding rights and freedoms, ensuring deterrence and justice, and enhancing public trust in the law and its institutions,” Al-Sumait said, according to the ministry’s official social media account on X.
The committee will be chaired by Saud Al-Sanea, assisted by Deputy Chair Mishaal Al-Ghanam. Members include judges Ahmed Al-Sidra and Mishari Al-Mutairi, Director of the Commercial Prosecution Ibrahim Al-Munea, Deputy Director of the Public Funds Prosecution Mishari Al-Mishari, and committee rapporteur Mohammed Al-Haddad. The committee’s mandate is to review the articles of the Kuwaiti Penal Code and compare them with modern legislation in other jurisdictions, with the goal of preparing a comprehensive new draft law accompanied by an explanatory memorandum reflecting contemporary legislative philosophy.
This initiative follows a series of recent legal reforms in Kuwait’s Penal Code. In May 2025, Decree-Law No 65 amended key provisions, including raising penalties for manslaughter and negligent injury, introducing stricter measures for debt evasion, and codifying aggravating circumstances for criminal acts. Earlier in March 2025, Kuwait also abolished Article 153, which had allowed reduced sentences for men committing “honor killings” against female relatives caught in adultery. — Agencies
