The UAE government issues a federal decree law amending some provisions of the Civil Procedure Law

The UAE government issued a federal decree law amending a number of provisions of the Civil Procedure Law, in an advanced step aimed at developing the procedural structure of the civil judiciary, enhancing the efficiency of litigation stages, and improving the quality of judicial work to meet the needs of contemporary justice.

The amendment includes regulating the establishment of inheritance departments directly, through a decision issued by the President of the Federal Judicial Council or the head of the local judicial authority, without requiring the adversaries to agree, which contributes to accelerating the settlement of inheritance disputes and simplifying their procedures.

The law also permitted the establishment of special chambers to hear specific civil or commercial lawsuits, based on the request or agreement of the parties to the case, with these chambers being subject to the same procedural provisions, in a step that enhances judicial specialization and increases the efficiency of dispute management.

The amendment to the law also strengthened the role of technical expertise in supporting judicial adjudication, by enabling the competent departments to seek the assistance of local or international experts to prepare or review expert reports, while granting them the authority to discuss with these experts and assign them to complete deficiencies or correct errors, ensuring the issuance of decisions based on accurate and reliable technical reports.

In the context of improving the level of procedural control, the amendments to the law included obligating the appellant to include in his appeal document a statement of the appealed ruling, its date, the reasons for the appeal, and the requests. Failure to do so resulted in a ruling not to accept the appeal, thus ending the previous practice that allowed the grounds for appeal to be completed in the first session, in a way that enhances the seriousness of appeals and respect for procedural deadlines.

The amendments to the law also brought about an important shift in the cassation appeal system, as this appeal became available in decisions issued by the courts of appeal alongside judgments, after it was limited in the previous text to judgments alone, which expands the scope of judicial oversight and gives litigants broader guarantees in the face of influential decisions, in addition to giving the Public Prosecutor the power to appeal by cassation on his own initiative or at the request of the Minister of Justice or the head of the local judicial authority, even in cases in which the opponents did not exercise their right to appeal or missed it. deadlines, which enhances the protection of the legal system and ensures that decisions violating the law do not escape judicial oversight.

By adopting these amendments, the UAE confirms its keenness to develop its judicial system in accordance with the highest legislative standards, consolidate the concept of complete justice, and enhance litigants’ confidence in the judiciary, on a steady path towards building a solid legal environment that supports development, protects rights, and keeps pace with the process of legislative development in the country.