Witness rule relaxed for status certificates

Dubai Courts has ruled witnesses are not a pre-requisite for issuance of certain certificates mandatory for employees including transactions required by Ministry of Social Affairs and housing foundations.

Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Director, Personal Status Department, said applications for 12 categories will henceforth be processed in the absence of a witness in Personal Status Court.

Transactions exempted from requiring a witness include request for income certificate; marriage and divorce power of attorney; guardian appointment certificate; certificate of no objection to minors to start business; embracing Islam certificate; name changing certificate; family reconciliation certificate; dowry collection or concession, a child nursing validation or concession; giving children their mother’s nationality, Rahman said.  

There were 14,000 such transactions last year. The institutional development team reviewed procedures and studied public suggestions and complaints and decided to rule out the need for witnesses in processing the above-mentioned transactions.

Many employees had complained that they found it difficult to bring witnesses to court to have their certificates processed.

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