Legal System of United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates is located in Middle East. It is geographically situated in middle east, bordering the gulf of oman and the persian gulf, between oman and saudi arabia. The country achieved independence on 2 december 1971 (from the uk). The capital is Abu Dhabi.
Government Overview
Government Type: federation of monarchies Chief of State: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022) Head of Government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006) Cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president Administrative Divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), ‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra’s al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn National Holiday: Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971) Suffrage: limited
Legal System
The legal system of United Arab Emirates is described as mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996 Amendment Process: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases) Judge Selection: judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment terms Subordinate Courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra’s al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of unicameral
Citizenship and Suffrage
Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen Suffrage: limited
Historical Background
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states – Abu Dhabi, ‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn – merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ra’s al Khaymah joined in 1972.
The UAE’s per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE’s economy.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of United Arab Emirates based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.