All you need to know about the UAE’s Ministry of Justice

• Ministry of Justice
• Jurisdiction
• Services
• FAQs

The Constitution of the UAE came into effect on the 2nd December 1971, providing a framework for the division of power and jurisdiction of various government entities and ministries. One of those entities, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), plays a vital role in the functionality of the country. With the instigation of various legislative measures over the years, the structure and role of the MoJ has evolved as per the state’s requirements. Here’s an overview of the UAE Ministry of Justice, its mission and the different services it offers.

ALL ABOUT THE UAE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (MOJ)

The Father of the Nation, the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, developed a legal system based on equity and justice. The Ministry of Justice has provided oversight and active support to ensure the rule of law and protect people’s rights and liberties.

JURISDICTION OF THE MOJ

According to Federal Law No. (1), issued in the year 1972, the jurisdiction and the functions of the Ministry of Justice pertains to the following:

• Provide oversight, i.e. supervision and regulate all financial and administrative affairs of the federal courts in the UAE.
• Work on draft laws that pertain to the federal public prosecution, federal judiciary and general amnesty from the judgments issued by the federal courts.
• Examine the fatwas, studies and legal matters required for the functioning of all the federal ministries, rules and regulations set by ministries and the formulation of draft laws.
• Prepare draft legislation linked to the artistic, and industrial property, expropriation for the public interest, companies and procedures before civil and criminal courts, laws on real estate market, laws of protection of literary, civil and commercial procedures laws, laws of extradition of criminals, penal law and copyrights.

SERVICES OF MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

Ministry of Justice services can be broadly categorised into three sections. Here’s an overview of the three categories and the services they provide.

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE GOVERNMENT SERVICES

The list of Ministry of Justice services offered to the government includes:

• Transfer of convict
• Review of government entities contracts
• Request to vacate the property and deliver it to the applicant
• Request to sell the property of the respondent
• Request to omit
• Request to correct a material error in the judgment or record
• Request for the conclusion of agreements and memorandums of international judicial cooperation
• Representing the government agencies in arbitration disputes
• Representing the government agencies before the executive departments
• Representing the government agencies before the different degrees of litigation
• Recovery of the wanted
• Preparation, review and formulation of legislations
• Issuing legal opinions
• Inquiries in the legal and judicial fields related to international cooperation
• Extradition of the wanted
• Assistance in civil and commercial matters (foreign state)
• Application to Subscribe in the Official Gazette
• Application to purplish in the Official Gazette
• Application to purchase Official Gazette Publication

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SERVICES FOR BUSINESSES

The list of Ministry of Justice services for businesses includes:

• Suspension of the license of the private notary
• Request to vacate the property and deliver it to the applicant
• Request to sell the property of the respondent
• Request to open a branch of the Private Notary’s Office
• Request to omit
• Request to correct a material error in the judgment or record
• Request to add a language to a legal translator
• Request instalment or repayment period
• Request for suspension or extending the suspension of a legal translator
• Request for suspension of execution
• Request for refund of fees
• Request for objection to fees
• Request for file transfer to accounts
• Renewal of the registration of Private Notary
• Renewal of a specialists firm’s subscription
• Registration of a specialists firm
• Inquiries in the legal and judicial fields related to international cooperation

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS

The list of Ministry of Justice services for individuals includes:

1. Writing and authentication of contracts and deeds
2. Suspension of expert registration
3. Start Service Service Info
4. Request to vacate the property and deliver it to the applicant
5. Request to transfer the registration of a lawyer’s representative
6. Request to specify a hearing for a suspended or pending claim
7. Request to sell the property of the respondent
8. Request to renew the registration of a legal translator
9. Request to renew the registration of a lawyer
10. Request to recover a passport
11. Request to postpone the training period
12. Request to photocopy the conservation decision
13. Request to photocopy file/case documents
14. Request to open a branch of the Private Notary’s Office
15. Request to omit
16. Request to meet a member of prosecutors
17. Request to imprison the respondent
18. Request to extract dead body
19. Request to enter and intervene in the case
20. Request to deposit money in favour of a deceased person
21. Request to correct a material error in the judgment or record
22. Request to change the law firm for training
23. Request to change a hearing date
24. Request to cancel the registration of a lawyer representative\
25. Request to bring an inmate
26. Request to be involved in the execution file
27. Request to amend claim amount
28. Request to advertise Islam
29. Request to address the competent authorities
30. Request to add a presentation (Superior)
31. Request the recovery of the financial amount deposited in the case as collateral
32. Request the action of the stay
33. Request renewal of a case after cancellation
34. Request petition to reconsider
35. Request permission to plead in a particular case
36. Request of executive status on deeds
37. Request of acceptance to appeal on judgments
38. Request interpretation of a judgment
39. Request instalment or repayment period
40. Request for valuation of funds or property
41. Request for transfer of notary
42. Request for the photocopying of case file
43. Request for termination of community service/measure
44. Request for suspension of execution
45. Request for sale of attached Items by public auction
46. Request for reservation of funds and property
47. Request for the representation of the employer
48. Request for registering execution complication
49. Request for refund of a fine difference
50. Request for refund of fees
51. Request for recovery of secretariats and documents
52. Request for recovering financial bail
53. Request for recovering bail
54. Request for receipt of original documents
55. Request for postponement of the filing of the report
56. Request for postponement/submission of a session
57. Request for payment of fees
58. Request for opposition
59. Request for objection to fees
60. Request for name clearing
61. Request for marriage permission
62. Request for a marriage contract
63. Request for liquidation of bail
64. Request for an instalment of the fine fined
65. Request for inquiry (Case)
66. Request for increased fees
67. Request for health release
68. Request for following up on enforcement procedures
69. Request for file transfer to accounts
70. Request for exemption or dismissal of the fine
71. Request for disbursement of the amount deposited in the execution
72. Request for disbursement of a secretariat
73. Request for custody accounting
74. Request for cancellation of a reservation of funds and property
75. Request for appointing a Judicial guard for Attached Items
76. Request for appeal from the Public Prosecution
77. Request for an international arrest warrant
78. Request for address screening
79. Request for a respondent’s bail
80. Request for a waiver
81. Request a transfer or deposit of funds to the account
82. Request a copy of the judgment/decisions or orders
83. Renewal of the registration of Private Notary
84. Renewal of expert registration
85. Renewal of a lawyer representative registration period.
86. Registration of working lawyer
87. Registration of Private Notary
88. Registration of order of payment
89. Registration of legal translator
90. Registration of execution file
91. Registration of disputes before alternative litigation systems
92. Registration of cases before federal courts of the first instance
93. Registration of cases before federal courts of appeal
94. Registration of appeals before the Federal Supreme Court
95. Registration of an order on a petition
96. Registration of a trainee lawyer
97. Registration of a non-employed lawyer
98. Registering of delegation file in execution
99. Register an appeal against the ruling of the enforcement judge
100. Provide a financial/personal bail
101. Lawyer’s representative registration
102. Issuing a certificate from the reality of the records
103. Issue a replacement for a lost card
104. Issuance of a spitting image from a previous deed
105. Inquiry about Properties of a litigant
106. Inquiries in the legal and judicial fields related to international cooperation
107. Expert registration
108. Edit lawyer’s information
109. Cancellation request for a travel ban order
110. Cancellation of suspension of expert registration
111. Cancellation of contracts and deeds
112. Attestation of official deeds
113. Assistance in criminal matters
114. Applications of monies of minors incapacitated and absent persons
115. Application to receive a dead body
116. Application to affix executory wording on a judgment
117. Application of representation in execution
118. Application of affidavits and authentication
119. Application for visiting an inmate
120. Application for travel ban order
121. Application for ‘to whom it may concern certificate’ in courts
122. Application for replacement of financial or personal bail – Public Prosecution/Court
123. Application for renewal of the registration of a lawyer’s representative
124. Application for registration of a lawyer in a case
125. Application to postpone the imposition of punishment restricted to the convicted person’s freedom
126. Application for Passport/Residence renewal of the respondent
127. Application for Passport and Residence renewal
128. Application for issuance of a ‘to whom it may concern certificate’ in Public Prosecution
129. Application for issuance of a ‘to whom it may concern certificate’ for Legal Services
130. Application for grievance
131. Application for further pleading for reserved cases
132. Application for filing petition
133. Application for extension of practical training
134. Application for exemption from fees
135. Application for depositing funds or movables
136. Application for Depositing amounts in favour of the complainant/On the case
137. Application for deferment of fees
138. An application submitted by the convicted person or his agent for postponement of execution in a restricted punishment
139. Accept or reject the temporary distribution list
140. A request from the deceased’s relatives to receive the body

E-SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

The Ministry of Justice provides the following e-services to facilitate citizens and expats:

• e-Lawyer System
• Minor Affairs System
• e-Zawaj System
• e-Refund System
• Smart Family Counseling App
• E-Notary System
• e-Filing System
• E-Tawtheqat System
• Translators System Management
• Translators System Management
• Experts System Management
• Legal dictionary

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL WEBSITE ARCHIVES

The official Ministry of Justice website has information and archives related to:

• Specific court judgements
• Laws and regulations
• A list of terrorists
• A guidebook for judicial cooperation requests in criminal matters
• Statistics of court cases
• Number of lawyers in the UAE
• Number of legal experts in the UAE
• Number of translators in the UAE
• Union Supreme Court Statistics
• Bilateral judicial agreements on International Judicial Cooperation and Communication with the International Cooperation Department

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY LEGAL FEES. CAN MOJ OFFER HELP?

The Ministry of Justice does offer legal services free of charge provided the set criteria are met.

WHERE IS THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE LOCATED?

Ministry of Justice in Abu Dhabi is located in Khalifa City (A), Sector 133, Street 12.

Dubai residents can find the Ministry of Justice office in Al Qusais 2, behind the Ministry of Education, near Al Twar Center.

HOW CAN I CONTACT A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MOJ?

You can call the Ministry of Justice on +971-2-692-1000.

WHAT ROLE DOES SHARIA LAW PLAY IN THE UAE?

Read our guide on the role of Sharia Law in the UAE to get a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

The Ministry of Justice ensures peace in the country by providing the legal system to solve disputes. You can read about Dubai courts and look at their functioning in the UAE. The modern functions of the Ministry of Justice are true to the vision of the Founding Father of the country, H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Similarly, other UAE ministries such as the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, are working to make the country a better place.

Want to learn about different UAE ministries? Visit MyBayut.