ABU DHABI // Federal National Council members started their closed committee meetings last week in preparation for the start of their third year.
The first seven-member committee to meet on Sunday was Interior and Defence, which discussed a bill on the security of sports activities and clubs.
Yaqob Al Naqbi (Sharjah), the committee chairman, said the 25-article bill aimed to support sports and youth and organise security measures at events.
The law outlines prison terms of between one and three months and fines of between Dh5,000 and Dh30,000 for anyone who enters a sports ground or attends a sporting event with the intention to disrupt, and all those who take in prohibited substances to events or carry a weapon.
Profane or racist language, including on banners, would also land fans in prison, with a fine of between Dh10,000 and Dh30,000.
In other meetings, the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee discussed the establishment of a new Federal Court of First Instance in Al Dhaid, Sharjah.
Ahmed Al Zaabi (Sharjah), the committee chairman, said the court was important because the population in that area was increasing, as was the number of court cases.
The distance between Al Dhaid and Sharjah courts, he said, was also far.
After a FNC member called for a dispute resolution panel in Al Dhaid this year, it was set up by the Ministry of Justice.
The temporary committee set up to discuss policies of the Ministry of FNC Affairs also met last week in the presence of several ministry officials.
The committee was set up after scrutiny into the role of the ministry as it was not playing a proactive role in spreading parliamentary awareness.
Following meetings, the committee will draw up a report, which will be discussed publicly in sessions.
A number of international visits have also been made, including one to Egypt, where some FNC members took part in parliamentary meetings.
While no date has been set for the opening session of the FNC in the capital, it will probably fall on either October 22 or 29.
osalem@thenational.ae
