Criminal lawyers in Dubai, UAE
Practice Areas
Criminal lawyers in the UAE
Get legal support if and when you need it
Criminal law in the UAE is considered complex because it includes rules and regulations drawn from Sharia law that sit alongside international criminal laws. It is also comprehensive in nature, covering a wide assortment of crimes from petty theft to cyber theft, and from insulting another person to causing their demise, either incidentally or intentionally.
The UAE Penal Code broadly categorises crimes into misdemeanours, violations (or contraventions) and felonies, with respective examples including traffic offences, assault, and homicide. Similarly, punishments are wide-ranging in nature, from fines and penalties to confinement and compensation to heirs of victims, and from immediate deportation to life imprisonment.
Have you been accused, attacked, or abused?
We provide sound advice, a diversity of services, and legal representation to individuals and organisations who are either considering actions to pursue a perpetrator, or are under criminal investigation themselves.
In other words, legal services are available to parties on either side of a criminal case. If you or a family member is suspected or accused of a crime, you will need to engage a team of criminal lawyers in the UAE to establish your rights, or defend you in a court of law as justice takes its course. Sometimes, crimes are registered as a result of simple oversight or honest mistake, and proper legal processes can clear your name of any wrong doing.
On the other hand, you may wish to report someone who has committed a crime against you, against someone you know, or against society, tasks which will be made easier by engaging a professional law firm.
When do you need a criminal lawyer?
If you are an accused party, you will be asked to attend investigations or interrogations at a police station, or charged with a felony or criminal offence.
Legal assistance begins with advisory services and assessment, strategic direction for handling the case, coordination with any other lawyers, and legal representation from arraignment to trial.
Criminal lawyers in the UAE represent their clients at police stations, the offices of the Public Prosecution, the Courts of First Instance, Cassation and Appeals, and the UAE Federal Supreme Court.
What acts are considered crimes?
- Drug crimes : The UAE practices a zero-tolerance policy to the buying, selling, storing, transaction and consumption of narcotics and recreational drugs, and punishments are severe. Penalties for drug charges are based on the type and quantity of drugs in possession, the intent to sell or distribute, past police records, and circumstances surrounding the case.
- Cybercrime : Almost everything that surrounds us is connected to ICT (information and communications technology). Although it enhances our lifestyle, its rapid growth comes with several serious threats to private and public security. Cybercrime is a very broad category of criminal acts related to ICT, among them financial fraud, digital harassment, hacking and phishing, and online money laundering.
- Violent crimes : The UAE has an admirably low violent crime rate, but there are many instances in which legal representation is required for cases of assault and kidnapping. Causing the demise of another human is classified into manslaughter – an act committed without criminal intent, premeditation, or previous surveillance, and wilful or intentional killing – including first degree or second degree murder, and homicide. Involuntary manslaughter cases often cover vehicular manslaughter, where a person causes the death of another while on the road.
- Financial crimes : Under another broad remit, financial crimes include credit card frauds, bank and loan fraud, forgery, identity theft, embezzlement and the commonly occurring bounced cheque. Working with a team of in-house auditors and accountants gives us an extra edge for legal representation for any reported financial crime.
- Theft : Simple theft is stealing without forgoing circumstances, typically resulting in a misdemeanour charge. Aggravated theft or armed robbery will result in fines, probation, and/or imprisonment. In either instance, appropriate legal representation will ensure sound defence, lower charges and better protection of rights.
- Juvenile crimes : The UAE’s Federal Law Number 9 of 1976 regarding Juvenile Delinquents and Vagrants defines a juvenile as any human being less than 18 years old at the time of committing any crime. Minors may make bad decisions, but they deserve fresh beginnings and second chances. Experienced criminal lawyers will aim towards the dismissal of juvenile crime cases and focus on educational and recreational remedies for behavioural change.
- Insults and defamation : Unlike in other jurisdictions, insulting and defamation of another person are considered crimes in the UAE. Making a negative statement about an individual’s name, family, character or reputation – whether based on fact or not – is punishable by fines and imprisonment of up to two (2) years.
- Discrimination and hatred : Federal Decree Law No. 2 of 2015 on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, aims to protect everyone residing in the UAE, in an environment of co-existence and acceptance. Criminal acts include triggering religious hatred, insulting any religion in any form of expression, insulting god, holy books or houses of worship, and supporting or participating in hate crimes. It also covers discrimination against any individual or group based on religion, doctrine, caste, colour, race or ethnic origin.