In an effort to improve the quality and efficiency of the judicial system, the UAE Federal Judiciary under Ministerial Decision No. 704 of 2020 approved the establishment of ‘One-day Misdemeanour Courts’ equipped to review and apply rules on specific minor cases in just one day based on the Code of Criminal Procedures.
These courts will be established in every federal judicial department and expected to handle over 50 misdemeanour cases a day.
“The decision falls within the Ministry’s endeavours to ensure efficient and expeditious disposal of cases, inculcate belief in the rule of law, and strengthen efforts to enhance the legislative and legal environment in the State in keeping with the tremendous developments taking place across all economic, scientific and social fields and in a way that ensures the wellbeing of Emiratis, residents and visitors of the country and advances the State’s rankings across global competitiveness indices” as stated by the Minister of Justice.
The new one-day misdemeanor will address numerous types of cases such as, but not limited to:
- Labour strikes
- Eavesdropping in phone calls
- Intentional disturbance of others through means of wireless and wired communications
- Causing fire to the property of another by mistake
- Profanation of burial sites
- Hiding newborns from their legal guardians, false affiliation of newborns to other than their parents
- Non implementation of judgements concerning alimony and child-support judgements
- Attempted suicide
- Concealment of crime-related tools
- Cases concerning the Federal Law Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals in the UAE
- Traffic violations punished by imprisonment or fining
The UAE’s vision remains to strength its position as a haven of security, stability, peace and co-existence within its unparalleled diversity. This is a monumental step in achieving social security and fair justice system.
