What are the Facts and Figures of Criminal Law in UAE?

The United Arab Emirates is relatively safer than most countries. For example, in 2021, it was named the safest country for people to walk at night, scoring an impressive 95% in the Gallup Global Law and Order survey.

But this doesn’t mean the UAE is free of crime. In 2017, the country recorded a crime rate of 0.46%, which was a 34.22% decline from the previous year. Some common criminal law cases in the UAE include:

·         Misdemeanours or petty crimes, such as theft, driving under the influence and underage possession of alcohol. These minor offences are punishable by fines or less than a year of jail time.

·         Felonies or significant crimes, including rape, treason, robbery, murder, and drug trafficking

·         Juvenile crimes or crimes committed by minor defendants

·         Assault and battery, arson, armed robbery, child abuse, kidnapping, manslaughter, and hate crimes

So what happens when you’re a victim of crime in the UAE? First, you’ll need to file a complaint against the offender. In addition, you can seek the help of an experienced legal advocate who specialises in criminal law in the UAE to ensure that your rights are protected.

As the victim, you can bring witnesses to testify before the local authorities, and the police will contact the accused to take their statement. If your case is brought to court, it will involve the following steps:

·         The public prosecution and victim will present their claims at the first hearing

·         The accused will be asked to admit or deny the charges

·         If there is no admission of guilt, another hearing date will be set

The UAE court system consists of three stages: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, and the Cassation court.

If you’d like to learn more about criminal law in the UAE, consider contacting a legal advocate or consultant.