Judicial discretion: Checking hubby's phone may land Saudi women a flogging, a fine and jail time

Source: www.sott.net --- Monday, May 16, 2016
Women in saudiarabia could be sent to jail and flogged if they check their husband's telephone without his knowledge and consent. The matter is not covered in the Kingdom's Islamic laws, but would instead be seen as a violation of privacy. They are not allowed to drive or even go out in public on their own. According to lawyer Mohammed Al-Temyat, who describes himself as a member of the saudi government's Family Security Program, women can be brought before a court if a lawsuit is filed against them, the Independent reports. The committee was set up in 2005 seeking to improve access to social services. There is no set punishment for this offense, as it is not covered by Islamic law. Therefore punishments come under judicial discretion, which can mean jail time. "I would like to clarify that this subject involves the husband and the wife and it is a Ta'zir offence so it is possible that there would be a flogging, a fine, imprisonment, just signing a pledge or even nothing," Al-Temyat told the Makkah newspaper, as cited by the Independent. "It is a Ta'zir offence not identified legally, so the punishment is dependent on the damage caused from it. If there was no damage caused, there could be no punishment," the lawyer added. Not surprisingly, the claims led to plenty of angry comments on social media, with users condemning the move. "They [men] get annoyed with women 'only' checking her husband's phone, whilst a woman lives all of ...