Sharjah Ruler backs fathers unable to pay child support

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, announced that he will support a citizen father who is separated from his wife and lacks the funds to pay the child support determined by the court.

His Highness emphasised that he is responsible for this father who cannot provide for his children, explaining that he personally intervenes to resolve many cases.

He stressed that the judges in Sharjah issue rulings after thorough study and verification, in accordance with the law and the “spirit of the law,” taking into account children, women, humanity, mercy, and compassion.

Harsh terms such as “compulsory enforcement” have been excluded from rulings in such cases, and His Highness previously directed that they be replaced with more suitable terminology.

Sheikh Sultan, in a telephone interview on the programme “Direct Line” broadcast on Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, with Dr Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, said: "I would like to clarify the matter regarding the distribution of industrial and commercial land in the city of Khorfakkan. Many of my fellow citizens in Khorfakkan request industrial and commercial plots. This town needs services such as blacksmithing, blacksmithing, and more, and there must be industrial areas in every town so that people are not forced to travel elsewhere for repairs."

"We allocate industrial and commercial land to those specialised in these fields. If we gave every person a plot without expertise, the land would remain idle and unused. We have extensive industrial and commercial zones, and we have already distributed part of these lands. The remainder will be allocated after the government completes ownership procedures, enabling it to distribute the plots to the people."

Sharjah Ruler: Participating in cases, judging by law and spirit of law

Responding to a caller on the programme, “Umm Muheir,” who requested the imprisonment of a father unable to pay child support, His Highness said: "In our courts, there is the 'law,' and there is also the 'spirit of the law,' which requires a person with a merciful, compassionate spirit. Some judges set the support amount for the father, and if he cannot pay, they issue a ruling to imprison him by compulsory enforcement until he settles the debt. I held a meeting with them and said: Assume the father is sincere and truly cannot pay; this imprisonment will prevent him from working and worsen his financial situation. Why not involve me in these matters? You must verify whether the father is genuinely unable to pay or merely claims so. If he is sincere and has no means to provide for his children, I am responsible for him. In such cases, inform the mother that a response will be given within days, and the matter will be referred to His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah, to resolve.”

Replacing harsh terminology with appropriate words

His Highness continued: "In courts, some cases cannot be treated as a simple calculation, like 1 + 1 = 2. That works for inanimate matters, such as construction, but when dealing with people, every detail must be examined and verified carefully before issuing a ruling. I have personally intervened in sensitive cases, such as one involving a man who fled the country after selling the house in which his wife and children lived, and a neighbouring plot on which he had built a home. He divorced his wife and left the country.

“We intervened and offered to buy the house from the new owner so the family could stay, but he refused, even though the offer was higher than the purchase price. We then instructed the Chairman of Sharjah Department of Housing, Eng. Khalid Bin Butti Al Muhairi, to deliver my regards to the woman and provide her with a new fully equipped house with electricity, water, and furniture. We also arranged to locate the fleeing man abroad through Interpol. When I saw the court order to evict the woman and children described as ‘compulsory,’ I said: How can it be 'compulsory' with children? Would you remove the children from their home in this way? This will never be allowed. We also rejected the term 'compulsory' in such cases and instructed that it be replaced with more appropriate wording, such as 'empowering' the homeowner, and that the law be amended if necessary."

People’s interests are “our daily priority”

His Highness concluded: "We instructed that judges should not be burdened with dozens of cases at once, so they have sufficient time to study each case thoroughly before the session and carefully consider the judgment. This is not a simple task to be completed quickly, but involves the lives, interests, and responsibilities entrusted to the judges. We intervene in the smallest details concerning people’s interests — this is our daily priority. This is how people find happiness and injustices are removed. Every good action adds to one’s merits; gather your good deeds for a day when neither wealth nor children will benefit."