Kuwait Raises Blood Money to 20,000 Dinars and Reforms Gender Discriminatory Laws

Kuwait has made a major legal reforms to update its legal system in accordance with international human rights norms and respond to economic changes. The Kuwait Cabinet declared the amendment of blood money amount under Decree Law No. 8 of 2025 which doubled the amount from 10,000 to 20,000 Kuwait dinars.

This adjustment follows more than four decades, as a reflection of inflation, economic downturn and the inability of the former amount to adequately compensate families of victims or inhibit violence. The amendment adheres to Islamic legal schools which permit modifications in diya based on economic circumstances, after precedent analogies from the past.

In a similar development, Kuwait has removed a contentious article of its Penal Code, Decree-Law No. 9 of 2025 which had previously granted lenient punishment for men who killed female relatives involved in adultery. Article 153 of the Penal Code which was in force since 1960 had established a legal justification for reduced punishment for such offenses but was condemned for entrenching gender discrimination. The abrogation of this law reaffirms Kuwait’s promise of gender equality as the government recognizes the necessity for complete criminal liability irrespective of provocation or gender.

These reforms represent a big significant milestone in the legal development of Kuwait ensuring justice, equality and fairness for all citizens.