New legal fees to deter filing of spurious lawsuits in UAE

FNC members passed a draft bill introducing dozens of legal fees to dissuade residents from filing spurious lawsuits and reduce costs for personal status cases.

FNC member Saeed Al Rumaithi asks whether the new fees are meant to increase the federal revenue. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National
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ABU DHABI // FNC members passed a draft bill introducing dozens of legal fees to dissuade residents from filing spurious lawsuits and reduce costs for personal status cases.

Among the 82 new fees proposed in the draft law, one will be imposed on those convicted in a criminal case. The law includes 121 fees that are intended to raise federal revenue.

Although the draft law includes fees for most judicial procedures, it has reduced fees for others, including those at the personal affairs court.

Also, juvenile defendants and disabled claimants are exempted from paying fees. Public welfare organisations, government bodies and people involved in personal status cases (such as post-divorce allowances, death certificates, inheritance, pensions and conversion to Islam) are also exempt from paying fees.

“The law targets unnecessary lawsuits and considers strengthening state revenues by adding new fees, while it exempts some categories such as divorcees, widows and the disabled,” said Sultan Al Badi, Minister of Justice. “This is the concept behind the draft law.”

In response, FNC member Saeed Al Rumaithi asked: “So this is the priority in the judicial system? To add fees for revenues to increase?”

Mr Al Badi said the main goal was to cut down on the number of spurious cases. “So there has been an increase in fees and, on the other hand, there has been a reduction for some cases,” he said.

Anyone convicted of a crime will have to pay Dh100. A misdemeanour carries a fee of Dh50.

For cases requesting restoration of good repute, the fee has to be paid in advance before a ruling is made.

A Dh5,000 fee will be imposed for rejecting judges or prosecutors and requesting their replacement. A Dh1,000 fee is applicable for rejecting experts who are due to testify.

The FNC’s legal adviser said the fees were to ensure that ­people did not abuse their right to stall legal proceedings, which wastes the courts’ time and ­obstructs justice.

The fee for financial disputes between spouses has been set at 1 per cent of the claimed amount, with a cap of Dh30,000.

To file an administrative lawsuit costs Dh2,000, and to appeal against administrative decisions costs Dh1,000. Appealing against the ruling of a judge in administrative lawsuits carries a Dh500 fee.

There is a Dh100 fee to request a travel ban or to appeal against one. A fee of Dh50 has been set for personal status lawsuits, and a fee of Dh100 to appeal against the verdicts.

The law says that no case or appeal is registered or request accepted before the entire fee is paid, unless there has been an exemption.

hdajani@thenational.ae