Dubai courts 101
The main facade of Dubai Courts building Image Credit: Gulf News

DUBAI: Dubai’s Attorney-General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said that the Penal Order legislation has further improved the working processes of the Dubai Public Prosecution, enabling it to settle 30,618 cases between November 2017 and the end of 2018.

Al Humaidan said that the penal order legislation has introduced a new mechanism for settling criminal complaints. It also enhances the efficiency and reduces the workload of judicial authorities. He further said the initiative forms part of implementing one of Dubai Plan 2021’s objectives of improving the efficiency of the judicial system and fast-tracking the litigation process in Dubai. The legislation was approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, through Law No. (1) of 2017.

Dubai’s Attorney-General said the number of cases settled through the Penal Order legislation reached 30,618 cases between November 2017 and the end of 2018. Bounced cheques of up to Dh200,000 represented the highest percentage of cases settled by the Penal Order legislation with 26,765 cases or 87 per cent of total cases, while refusal of payment cases represented 3 per cent (951) of the cases.

The Penal Order legislation also helped cut the number of complainants by 26 per cent to 61,212 from 83,042 before the implementation of the legislation; while the number of passports confiscated went down by 33 per cent from 20,485 to 13,723. Legal notices went down 42 per centfrom 138,256 notices prior to the implementation of the legislation to 79,650 notices after the implementation.