The UAE government on Saturday announced that it will cancel lenient penalties for honor killings and will introduce other progressive policies.

In a statement released by his government, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan approved amendments to personal status, civil transactions, the penal code and criminal procedural laws.

“Based on the UAE solid commitment to protecting women’s rights, amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedural law have repealed the article giving reduced (lenient) sentence in what is called “honor crimes,'” the UAE president announced.

Now, honor crimes will now be treated as normal murder cases.

Additionally, residents can choose not to apply sharia law, but can instead apply inheritance laws in each case.

Under sharia law, women would receive half the inheritance of men, and they can be excluded from inheriting property.

Other acts will be decriminalized, such as consensual sex outside of marriage and consuming alcohol. Judges and prosecutors will now define these acts.