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29 March 2024

Dubai's legal department move praised

Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Mohammed Elsidafy

Officials have praised a decision by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to set up the Legal Affairs Department of Government of Dubai and which will be affiliated to the Ruler's Court.

They said the decision came at the right time and it represents an important step, given the need for a mechanism to compile and formulate draft laws for a more specialised and organised system and which will be in the service of the legislative and legal system.

Such system will also support and strengthen co-ordination between government departments and the new department that will be authorised to issue legislations let alone its importance in cutting down on the time needed to issue laws, which is in harmony with requirements of the current phase of flexibility and speed needed to consolidate the process of development and to maintain previous achievements.

Director General of Dubai Courts Department Dr Ahmed bin Hazeem said the decision came at the right time, and it represents an important step that satisfies the need for a mechanism to compile and formulate draft laws for a more specialised and organised system.

He said the law to establish the department covers the organisation of related activities such as those of advocates and legal consultancy offices which need a system capable of following up legislations and laws issued by government departments. Also the new department is important in terms of consistency between local and federal laws, an important principle enforced by all countries; it will ensure local legislations, bills and decrees do not conflict with federal legislations.

Director General of the Department of Finance Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi said the establishment of a department of legal affairs in Dubai was an important demand on two levels; first at the court level where legal affairs were to be reviewed, and second the government where legislation required two stages: compiling the draft law with the knowledge of the government department and then referring it to the court, he said.

Al Qamzi said the presence of the new department reactivates the legal sections of government departments as well as increases co-ordination between government departments and the department authorised to issue legislations. And this would curtail the time needed for a law to see the light.

Dr Habib Al Mulla, advocate, stressed the significance of the move which had been demanded for some time, because of the vast amount of legal work in Dubai over the past six years.

Al Mulla said the text of the law that the new department will represent Dubai in committees formed to study and formulate federal draft laws is a consolidation of a de facto since all emirates are represented in all related federal and ministerial bodies.