Kuwait Sets Alternative Penalties for Traffic Violations
New decree introduces community service, training, and compensation options instead of imprisonment.
Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, issued Ministerial Decree No. 895/2026, amending some provisions of Ministerial Decree No. 81/1976 on the Executive Regulations of the Traffic Law, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
The decree sets the rules for alternative penalties for traffic violations, and it applies from the date of its publication in the official gazette, Kuwait Al-Youm. Published in Monday’s edition of the official gazette, the decree amends Article 212-bis of the Executive Regulations and creates a legal framework for alternative penalties that the court may impose instead of imprisonment.
These alternative penalties include community service, attendance in awareness, rehabilitation, and training programs and lectures, as well as compensation for damages caused by the crime.
The General Directorate for the Execution of Judicial Rulings will oversee the implementation of these penalties. The decree also explains which entities will handle community service, based on the type of violation and the situation of the convicted person.
The Ministry of Interior will assign convicts to traffic awareness campaigns, work in the General Traffic Department, and activities in correctional and rehabilitation institutions, as well as civil defense services.
The Ministry of Health will involve convicts in organizing appointments and health awareness campaigns.
Under the Ministry of Education, alternative penalties include organizing school libraries, joining student awareness campaigns, and doing cleaning work.
The Ministry of Social Affairs will assign individuals to social welfare work, aid distribution, and duties in social development centers and cooperative societies.
Alternative punishments under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs include arranging copies of the Quran, cleaning mosques, and helping with religious activities.
The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy will assign tasks related to recording electricity meter data.
The Ministry of Public Works will assign participants to field maintenance work, removing debris from roads, painting sidewalks, and placing directional signs.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will assign tasks linked to consumer awareness, brochure distribution, and participation in awareness exhibitions.
The Environment Public Authority (EPA) will also assign alternative penalties such as coastal cleanups, tree planting, waste removal, and environmental awareness campaigns.
Alternative punishments under Kuwait Municipality include organizing cemeteries, handling funeral affairs, and cleaning duties.
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) will offer vocational training in basic skills and craft workshops.
The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) will assign tasks such as raising awareness among expatriate workers, organizing training courses, and providing translation services.
The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) will assign penalties including cleaning public parks and planting trees.
Other alternative penalties include charitable work, humanitarian aid, awareness campaigns, basic vocational training, and administrative support for public benefit associations.
Other assigned tasks also include working at fuel stations operated by the Ministry of Oil.
The decision said rehabilitation programs include educational lectures, training workshops, and psychological and behavioral programs aimed at changing irresponsible driving behavior.
The General Department for the Execution of Judicial Rulings, in coordination with the General Traffic Department, will organize alternative penalties with government and private sector entities and public benefit associations.
The decision also says there must be coordination with the affected party, whether to restore the property to its original condition, repair it, or provide financial compensation.
The value of the damage will be determined through coordination between the General Traffic Department and the government entity that owns the damaged property.
The decision stressed that entities implementing alternative penalties must submit reports to the General Department for the Execution of Judicial Rulings on the level of the convict’s compliance.
If the convict refuses to comply with the sentence or breaks its conditions, the case will be sent to the competent court to complete the original prison term.
Alternative punishments under the Ministry of Social Affairs include assigning convicts to social welfare work, aid distribution, and duties in social development centers and cooperative societies.
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