Title: Criminal protection of the elderly in Arab laws: a comparative analytical study

Authors: Muaath S. Al-Mulla; Ali Hadi Al-Obeidi; Ahmed Fekry Moussa; Ibrahim Suleiman Al-Qatawneh

Addresses: Kuwait International Law School, Doha Super Motorway, Kuwait ' Al Ain University, P.O. Box 64141, Al Ain, UAE ' Al Ain University, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, UAE ' Al Ain University, P.O. Box 64141, Al Ain, UAE

Abstract: The significance of the study stems from the lack of comprehensive protection for the elderly, leaving them vulnerable to physical, mental, psychological, and financial abuse from strangers and relatives. International reports reveal an increase in the rates of assault against them, but monitoring these cases was not sufficient. Therefore, this study aims to uncover these realities and assess the extent to which the elderly require specialised protection, both objectively and procedurally and to examine the methodology of some Arab laws in establishing this protection, namely, Kuwaiti law, Emirati law, Algerian law, and Jordanian law. This required us to follow an analytical approach, enabling us to identify the established legal rules systematically. We also applied the comparative approach to clarify the evolution of these laws and their alignment with international and regional recommendations. We divided our study plan on this basis and concluded with important key findings and recommendations.

Keywords: elderly care; objective protection; procedural protection; violence; criminal legislator.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2026.152773

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2026 Vol.12 No.2, pp.159 - 175

Received: 02 Jul 2024
Accepted: 29 Aug 2024
Published online: 10 Apr 2026 *

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