Crimes and Penalties Law — articles 1–100

The provisions of the Islamic Sharia shall apply to the crimes punishable by retribution (Qisas) and crimes punishable by blood money (Diya). The other crimes and their prescribed penalties shall be defined in accordance…

No person may be convicted for a crime committed by another. And the accused is innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law.

The provisions of Book One of this Law shall apply to the crimes provided for in the other penal laws, unless there is a stipulation therein to the contrary.

Unless the context of this Law otherwise requires, the term "Government" shall include the Federal Government and the governments of the Emirates members of the Federation.

A public servant as per the provisions of this Law, shall mean any person occupying a federal or local job, whether legislative, executive, administrative or judicial, and whether he is appointed or elected; including: 1…

1. A foreigner public servant in accordance with this Law shall be: any person who occupies a legislative, executive, administrative or judicial position in another country, whether permanent or temporary, and whether he…

Public funds in accordance with this Law shall be: 1. Funds owned, in part or in whole, by a federal or local authority, a federal or local public entity and corporation, a company partially or wholly owned by the federa…

No punitive measure shall be imposed except in the cases and under the conditions stipulated by the Law. Provisions relative to penalties shall, unless otherwise provided, apply to punitive measures.

The provisions of this Law that apply to the crimes against the President of the State shall apply to crimes committed against the Vice President of the State and the members of the Federal Supreme Council and their Crow…

Under this Law, the following shall be considered means of publicity: 1. Any speech or shout uttered publicly or conveyed through any means in a public gathering or place or a in place open for the public . 2. Any acts, …

Periods and dates provided for in this Law shall be computed in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, unless the Law stipulates otherwise.

The provisions of this Law shall in no case prejudice any rights of refund or indemnity, or expenses or any other rights which may be pertaining to the adversaries or other parties.

A crime shall be punished according to the law in force at the time at which it is committed. In order to determine the law in force, the time at which the criminal acts are performed shall be taken into consideration, r…

If, after the crime is committed and before a final judgment is issued thereon, a law that is more favourable to the accused is promulgated, such law shall alone be applicable. And if, after the judgment has become final…

Notwithstanding the preceding Article, if a law is promulgated, deeming an act or an omission as a crime, or increasing the penalty that has previously prescribed therefor, and if said law is temporary and limited to a s…

The new Law shall apply to all continuous or successive crimes committed before it its entry into force and to habitual crimes which have been committed repeatedly after the new Law has entered into force. And if the new…

The provisions of this Law shall apply to any one who commits a crime on the territory of the State. The State's territory includes its lands and any place under its sovereignty, including the territorial waters and the …

The provisions of this Law shall apply to such crimes committed onboard warships and military aircraft flying the flag of the State, wherever they are. This provision shall also apply to non-military ships and aircraft o…

Without prejudice to the agreements and conventions to which the State is a party, the provisions of this Law shall not apply to crimes committed onboard foreign ships in a port of the State or in its territorial waters,…

This Law shall apply to any person who performs, outside the State, an act which causes him to be considered a perpetrator or an accomplice of a crime which is wholly or partially committed in the State.

This Law shall apply to any individual who performs, outside the State, an act which causes him to be considered a perpetrator or an accomplice of one of the following crimes: 1. Crimes against the external or internal s…

This Law shall apply to any person who is present in the State upon committing abroad, as a perpetrator or an accomplice, a crime of sabotage or impairment of international means of communications, crimes of trading in d…

Any citizen who performs outside the State, an act that is considered a crime according to the provisions of this Law, as a perpetrator or an accomplice, shall be punished in accordance with its provisions if he returns …

Only the Public Prosecutor may file a criminal action against a person who has committed a crime abroad. Said action may not be filed against the person who is proven to have been finally acquitted by foreign Courts, or …

When executing the penalty against the convict, the period which he has served in custody, in preventive detention, electronic probation, or in execution of the penalty abroad for the crime for which he has been convicte…

The provisions of this Law shall not apply in the territory of the United Arab Emirates to persons enjoying immunity in accordance with the international agreements or international or domestic laws.

1. Crimes are of three types: a. Felonies b. Misdemeanour c. Infractions 2. The type of a crime shall be determined by the type of penalty prescribed therefor in the Law. If the crime is punishable by a fine or Diya in a…

The type of crime shall not change if the court has replaced the penalty prescribed therefor with another penalty that is milder, whether due to legal excuses or due to discretionary extenuating circumstances, unless the…

A felony is a crime punishable by any of the following penalties: 1. Any of the Qisas penalties. 2. Death penalty. 3. Life imprisonment. 4. Temporary imprisonment.

A misdemeanour is a crime that is punishable by one or more of the following penalties: 1. Imprisonment. 2. A fine of more than (10,000) ten thousand AED. 3. Diya. The amount of Diya for manslaughter of a male or female …

An infraction is any act or omission punishable under the laws or regulations, by one or both of the two following penalties: 1. Custody for not less than twenty-four hours and not more than (10) ten days. Such custody s…

The material element of a crime consists of a criminal activity involving a commission or omission of an act whenever such commission or omission is criminal according to the law.

No person shall be held responsible for a crime that is not the result of his criminal activity, but he shall be held responsible for the crime even if his criminal activity contributed in its occurrence with another pre…

Instantaneous crimes are those punishable acts which, by nature, occur and end once they are committed. The series of consecutive acts shall be considered an instantaneous crime when they are committed in execution of a …

An attempt means an effort or endeavour to commit a crime, which has been prevented or has not produced the effect intended due to reasons beyond the perpetrator's will. Committing an act which is deemed, by itself, as a…

An attempt to commit a felony shall be punishable by the following penalties, unless the law stipulates otherwise: 1. Life imprisonment, if the penalty prescribed for the crime is death. 2. Temporary imprisonment, if the…

The law shall determine which the misdemeanours in which attempt is punishable, as well as the penalty for such attempt.

The provisions regarding ancillary penalties and criminal measures to be prescribed for consummated crimes shall apply to the attempt.

The moral element of the crime consists of the intention or the error. The intention exists when the will of the perpetrator is to commit or omit an act whenever such commission or omission is deemed a crime by law, with…

Where an act is committed because of a mistake of facts, the liability of the perpetrator shall be restricted to the facts which he believed they existed, if such facts are to negate or reduce his liability, provided tha…

The motive of committing the crime shall not be taken into consideration, unless the law stipulates otherwise.

Where the perpetrator ignores the existence of an aggravating circumstance altering the characterization of the crime, he shall not be held responsible, but he shall benefit from the excuse even if he has ignored its exi…

Ignorance of the provisions of this Law is not an excuse.

The perpetrator of a crime shall be liable for it whether he has committed it deliberately or by mistake, except in the cases where the law expressly stipulates premeditation.

Any individual who has committed a crime alone or who has acted as direct accomplice therein shall be considered a perpetrator thereof. The accomplice shall be deemed a direct one in the following cases: 1. If he commits…

A person is considered an accomplice by causation of the crime if he: 1. Instigates the commission of the crime, and it has been committed as a result of such instigation. 2. Agrees with another person to commit the crim…

Any accomplice by causation who has been found at the scene of the crime with the intention of committing it shall be considered as a direct accomplice if another person does not commit it.

Any person who participates in a crime, as a direct accomplice or as an accomplice by causation, shall be punished by its penalty, unless the law stipulates otherwise.

Where one of the accomplices is not subject to the penalty due to any of the causes of justification or due to his lack of criminal intent or due to any other circumstances particularly attached to his person, the other …

In the presence of material circumstances which are adherent to the crime or constituent of one of its acts, that would aggravate or extenuates the penalty, the effects thereof shall apply to each person who has particip…

In the presence of personal excuses exempting from or extenuating the penalty in respect of one of the accomplices in the crime, whether direct or by causation, they shall only affect the person to whom they are attached…

The accomplice in the crime, directly or by causation, shall be punished by the penalty prescribed for the crime which has actually been committed, even if such crime is different from the one he has intended to commit, …

If the characterization of the crime or the penalty changes to the perpetrator's intention or his knowledge of its circumstances, the accomplices, directly or by causation, shall be punished,, each according to his inten…

There shall be no crime, if the act takes place in good faith, in the use of a right established by virtue of Islamic Sharia or the law, or within the limits of such a right. The following are considered cases for the us…

There shall be no crime in any act performed in good faith but causing damage to another person upon providing assistance or relief thereto in cases which require urgent interference in order to save his life, avoid any …

There shall be no crime if the act is committed in the performance of a duty imposed by the law, if the person who commits such act is legally authorized thereto.

There is no crime if the act is committed by a public servant or by a person who is entrusted with a public service in one of the two following cases: 1. If he commits the act in execution of an order given thereto by hi…

There is no crime if the act is committed in the use of the right of legitimate defence. Such legitimate right exists when the following conditions are fulfilled: 1. If the defender faces an immediate danger of a forcibl…

The right of legitimate defence does not justify premeditated murder, unless it is committed for the purpose of repelling one of the following cases: 1. An act which is feared to cause death or serious injuries, provided…

The right of legitimate defence does not justify the resistance to any of the members of the public authority, if this latter is performing an act in execution of the duties of his job and within its limits, unless it is…

Exceeding the limits of justification in good faith is considered an extenuating excuse, and the judge may pardon the doer if he deems it appropriate.

Anyone who, at the time of committing the crime, loses perception or will for causes of insanity, mental deficiency or unconsciousness due to drugs or narcotic or intoxicating substances of any kind, which have been give…

If the want of perception or will is due to drugs, or narcotic or intoxicating substances taken voluntarily and knowingly by the perpetrator, he shall be punished for the crime committed, as if it were committed free of …

No criminal action may be filed against any person who has not completed eleven years of age at the time of committing the crime. Want of discernment and minority shall be subject to the provisions stipulated in the legi…

No criminal liability shall be held against anyone who is forced to commit a crime in order to protect his person or property or the person or property of others from a serious and imminent danger, of which occurrence is…

Legal persons, with the exception of the government agencies and their official departments and public entities and corporations, shall be criminally liable for crimes committed by their representatives, directors or age…

A. Principal penalties are as follows: 1. Qisas and Diya penalties. 2. Death penalty. 3. Life imprisonment. 4. Temporary imprisonment. 5. Incarceration. 6. Detention. 7. Fine. B. If the conditions set forth in the Sharia…

The death penalty issued by a Federal Court shall only be executed after being ratified by the President of the State.

Imprisonment is to detain the convict in one of the penal establishments or institutions legally designated for this purpose, for life in case of life imprisonment, or for the period specified by the judgment in case of …

Incarceration is to detain the convict in one of the penal establishments or institutions legally designated for this purpose, for the period specified by the judgment. The period of incarceration may not be less than on…

Whoever is sentenced to a penalty restricting his liberty, shall be bound to perform the labour assigned thereto in the penal establishments or institutions with due regard to his own circumstances and to the purpose of …

The fine penalty: It is to obligate the convict to pay the treasury the adjudged amount. The fine may not be less than one thousand (1,000) AED and not be more than ten (10,000,000) million AED in felonies, and five (5,0…

Anyone who, while being fully aware of its objectives, joins, participates in or provide assistance of any kind to an association or any of the other entities stated in the preceding Article, Shall be punished by tempora…

Accessory Penalties are as follows: 1. Deprivation of some rights and privileges. 2. Police Probation. 3. Dismissal from public service. Such penalties shall be imposed on the convict by force of the law without the need…

Any death sentence shall entail by force of the law, since the day on which it is issued and until its execution, the deprivation of the convict of all the rights and privileges stated in the following Article, and the n…

Sentence to life or temporary imprisonment shall entail by force of the law, since the day on which it is issued, the deprivation of the convict of all the following rights and privileges: 1. The right to be an elector o…

Whoever is sentenced to life or temporary imprisonment may not, during the period of imprisonment, dispose of his funds except after approval of the competent court in which jurisdiction the place of his residence is loc…

The convict shall, during the period of his imprisonment, select a curator to administer his funds, after approval of the competent court in which jurisdiction the place of his residence is located. If within one month a…

If the person who is sentenced to life or temporary imprisonment is a public servant or a person who is entrusted with a public service, he shall be dismissed from such office as a result.

Whoever is sentenced to temporary or life imprisonment for a crime affecting the external or internal security of the State, for crimes against the security of the State, for a crime of counterfeit, falsification or forg…

The court may, upon issuing an imprisonment judgment for a felony, decide that the convict be deprived of one right or privilege or more, among those stipulated in Article (76) of this Law, for a period not less than one…

When sentencing a public servant to imprisonment with respect to any crime in which the perpetrator must be a public servant, the court may as well decide that he be dismissed from service for a period not less than one …

1. Confiscation is to adjudicate to transfer the ownership of private funds to the State without consideration or compensation. 2. In cases other than where the law requires a judgment of confiscation, the court may, upo…

The court may, when issuing a judgment on a crime of non-proportional fine or incarceration for a period not exceeding one year, order the stay of execution if it deems in the ethics, past history or age of the convict, …

Stay of execution of penalty shall be for a period of (3) three years as of the day on which the judgment has become final.

Stay of the execution may be cancelled in any of the following cases: 1. If the convict has committed, during the period stipulated in the preceding Article, a premeditated crime in which he is sentenced to a freedom-res…

If the period stated in Article (86) above expires without the occurrence of any cause of cancellation of the stay of execution, the judgment shall be considered as if it never existed.

If a single act constitutes several crimes, the crime of which penalty is the severest shall be taken into consideration and such penalty shall be adjudged exclusively.

If several crimes, which are inseparably connected with each other, are committed for the same purpose, they shall all be considered a single crime, and the penalty prescribed for the severest crime shall be imposed.

Imposing the penalty prescribed for the severest crime as stipulated in the two preceding Articles shall not prevent the imposing of the ancillary penalties prescribed by in respect with the other crimes.

If the perpetrator in the case stipulated in Article (89) of this Law, has been convicted for the crime with the mildest penalty, he shall be prosecuted thereafter for the crime with the severest penalty. In such a case,…

If a person commits several crimes before he has been sentenced for any of them, and if the conditions stipulated in Articles (88) and (89) are not applicable to these crimes, the penalty prescribed for each of them shal…

The death penalty shall override all other penalties, except for the penalties of proportional fine and confiscation. The penalty of imprisonment shall, to the extent of its period, override the penalty of incarceration …

The following penalties and measures shall apply, regardless of their number: 1. Penalty of fine. 2. Ancillary penalties, provided the total periods of police probation do not exceed (5) five years. 3. Criminal Measures.

Excuses may either exempt from the penalty or extenuate it. No crime is excusable except in those cases specified in the Law.

An exempting excuse shall prevent the imposing of all penalties or measures except confiscation.

Extenuating excuses include the young age of the perpetrator, committing of the crime for non-malicious motives or due to the fact that the victim has unjustly and dangerously provoked him.

If there is an extenuating excuse for a crime punishable by death, it shall be reduced to life or temporary imprisonment or to incarceration for not less than one year; and if it is punishable by life imprisonment, it sh…

If the court finds in a felony that the circumstances of the crime or the perpetrator call for clemency, it may extenuate the penalty prescribed for the felony as follows: 1. If the penalty prescribed for the felony is d…

If in the case of misdemeanour, there is an extenuating excuse, the extenuation shall be as follows: 1. If there is a specific minimum for the penalty, the court shall not abide thereby in assessing the penalty. 2. If th…