United Arab Emirates · Courts
Court structure of United Arab Emirates
Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.
The hierarchy, top to bottom
- Constitutional and final appellate (federal) — Federal Supreme Court
- Constitutional review, federal cassation and inter-emirate disputes.
- Final appellate (local) — Dubai Court of Cassation and Ras Al Khaimah Court of Cassation
- Apex of the two emirates outside the federal system.
- Appellate — Federal and local Courts of Appeal
- Civil, criminal, commercial and personal status divisions.
- First instance — Courts of First Instance
- Including dedicated personal status and labour divisions.
- Free zone — DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts
- Common-law courts of first instance and appeal; English-language, with opt-in jurisdiction by agreement.
Every court in the hierarchy
- supremeAbu DhabiFederal Supreme Court of the United Arab EmiratesConstitutional review of federal and emirate legislation, disputes between emirates or between an emirate and the federation, final review on points of law from the federal courts of appeal, and trial of offences against the security of the state.
- specialisedDubaiDIFC CourtsCivil and commercial disputes connected to the Dubai International Financial Centre, and any dispute the parties agree in writing to submit, applying DIFC law based on the common law of England, in English.
- specialisedAbu DhabiADGM CourtsCivil and commercial disputes connected to the Abu Dhabi Global Market, and disputes submitted by written agreement, applying ADGM law.
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