United Arab Emirates: Court Procedure

A call from Dubai Police asking a person to attend a police station usually means that a complaint has been filed and the police are gathering evidence. The person may be called as a witness, or as the person against whom the complaint was made.

The key legislation governing extradition and international judicial cooperation in the UAE is Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 (amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2023). It deals with the surrender of wanted persons, judicial assistance in criminal matters and the transfer of convicted persons.

When a deceased person leaves property in multiple countries or has heirs living abroad, resolving their estate becomes significantly more complex. Questions arise about which country's laws apply, whether foreign wills are recognized in the UAE, and how overseas heirs can participate in local proceedings without relocating.

Traditionally, judicial systems around the world relied on conventional court procedures across all types of courts, including civil courts, personal status courts, criminal courts, and specialized courts.

The DIFC Court has issued its first substantive guidance on how courts should exercise discretion when setting aside arbitral awards under Article 41 of the DIFC Arbitration Law. Building on the landmark Oheo Bank v Parker decision, this new framework distinguishes between errors that materially affect award outcomes and those that do not, establishing when intervention is appropriate and when deference to arbitral tribunals should prevail.

Visa applicants in the UAE often provide incorrect mobile numbers during registration, creating serious legal and administrative complications. When government notifications, court summons, and authentication codes are sent to numbers the resident doesn't control, deadlines run without their knowledge and legal rights may be forfeited. This analysis examines how a seemingly minor administrative detail can have profound consequences for residents' ability to manage their legal affairs.

Foreign divorce judgments obtained abroad do not automatically produce legal consequences within the United Arab Emirates. Whether the objective is to update official records, remarry...

Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 on the Civil Procedure Law introduced an updated procedural framework for civil and commercial disputes before the onshore courts of the United Arab Emirates. It replaced the former Civil Procedure Code and supports a more streamlined and digitally enabled approach to litigation and enforcement.

When a business partner vanishes, a borrower goes silent or an investor suspects funds might have been diverted, the first question is often simple: What happened to the assets?