Find out more about HBKU's genetic fingerprinting conference.

HE President and HE Vice President of Supreme Judiciary Council Attend Proceedings

Entity: College of Islamic Studies

Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS) hosted a conference titled “The Role of Genetic Fingerprinting in Contemporary Society 2024,” which explored the issue of proving and denying childrens’ lineage from jurisprudential, societal, and legal perspectives.

His Eminence (HE) Sheikh Dr. Thaqeel Al Shammari, Vice President of the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) and Judge on the Court of Cassation, State of Qatar, attended the conference and gave the keynote speech. He also underlined the importance of gathering expert knowledge and generating insightful discussions within this field.

Held from October 2 to 3 at Minaretein, Education City, under the theme, “The Study of Negating or Confirming Parentage from Jurisprudential, Societal, and Legal Perspectives,” the conference featured discussions on key issues such as the regulation of parentage verification of newborns and protection of childrens’ rights. Proceedings also considered in-depth comparisons of the validity and use of genetic fingerprinting within legal systems across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and compiled useful insights and best practices from the region.

Commenting on the conference, Dr. Recep Şentürk, Dean, CIS, said: “By connecting Islamic thought with the dynamic practice of law throughout the MENA region, our multidisciplinary discourse helped to facilitate expertise and build capacity among legal practitioners to address an issue of great importance to our communities. It demonstrated our commitment to contributing to the intellectual debate and constructive dialogue on Islam in a global context.”

Established professionals from Qatar’s Supreme Judiciary Council, Court of Cassation, and Ministry of Justice participated alongside renowned academics from HBKU’s CIS and College of Health and Life Sciences, as well as Qatar University, Georgetown University in Qatar, International Islamic Fiqh Academy, European Council for Fatwa and Research, and other regional institutions.