Law of the United Arab EmiratesModule 8
Criminal law and international dispute resolution: offences, defences, investigation, arrest and trial, litigation, arbitration, the DIFC and ADGM, and enforcing judgments and awards
The UAE is a **very safe country** with **strict criminal laws**. The **Crimes and Penalties Law** (Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, in force from 2022) defines the main offences, and the **Criminal Procedure Law** (2022) sets out how they are **investigated and tried**. **Many offences that are minor elsewhere**, such as **insulting others, drug traces, bounced payments and indecent behaviour**, can lead to **arrest and deportation**, so a foreigner should understand the **rules, the rights of an accused** and **how to get help**. The second half of the module covers **commercial disputes**: **courts, mediation and arbitration**, the special roles of the **DIFC** and **ADGM**, and how **foreign judgments and arbitral awards** are enforced in the UAE. **Laws are reformed often** and are flagged for checking.
This course explains the law of the United Arab Emirates, not US law. Rules that look the same elsewhere may be different. This covers the federal law of the UAE, with notes on the emirates and the free zones that have their own rules.
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See what is included in the Courses & AI Lab Pass →General education on the law of the United Arab Emirates, using invented people and businesses. It states laws and procedures in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law and its practice change, and every case turns on its facts, the emirate and the authority concerned. It does not offer legal representation or a legal opinion on any case. Consult a licensed UAE advocate or legal consultant for any real matter.
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