Afridi & Angell
  October 6, 2019 - United Arab Emirates

Dubai: Changes to the Fines that can be Applied by the Public Prosecutors’ Department

The Public Prosecutors’ Department in Dubai has the power to impose fines with respect to certain criminal misdemeanors and offences[i] without being required to refer the matter to a Court of Law. Such fines are issued under a Penal Order. This power stems from Dubai Law No. 1 of 2017, which authorises the Attorney General of Dubai to prescribe the offences and the corresponding fines which may be the subject of a Penal Order. On 1 October 2019 the Attorney General of Dubai issued Resolution No. 119 of 2019 (the Resolution) amending certain fines that could earlier be imposed under Penal Orders, and adding misdemeanors and offences which may be the subject of a Penal Order.

The following fines are amended:

 

Misdemeanor or Offence

Previous Fine

Current Fine

Intentionally disturbing another through means of telecommunication

AED 5,000

AED 3,000

Publicly attributing to another person an incident susceptible of making the other person subject to punishment or exposing the other person to contempt

AED 2,000

AED 5,000

Publicly disgracing the honour of another person

AED 2,000

AED 3,000

Committing libel or slander over the telephone (which includes text, email, and other electronic messaging)

AED 2,000

AED 3,000

 

The following misdemeanors and offences may now be punished under a Penal Order:

 

Misdemeanor or Offence

Fine

Burning or causing to be burned any object belonging to a third party

AED 3,000

Consuming food and beverages publicly during fasting hours of Ramadan

AED 2,000

Compelling, inciting or assisting with publicly consuming food and beverages during the daytime of Ramadan

AED 2,000 with closure of shop (where applicable)

Violating an order for closure of shop

AED 3,000

Causing physical injury to another by fault (i.e. not by accident)

AED 1,000

Using a car or a motorcycle without the authorisation or consent of its owner

AED 1,000

Destroying any movable or immovable property belonging to another person

AED 1,000

Wrongfully destroying a tree, crops or any plants belonging to another person

AED 2,000

Harassing or torturing a domestic or tamed animal belonging to another person

AED 1,000

Wrongfully injuring any animal or cattle belonging to another person

AED 500

Staying illegally in the country for up to 90 days

AED 1,000

Not obtaining a residency visa for a child during the legally prescribed time period

AED 1,000

Assisting another to illegally stay in the country

AED 1,000

Driving a vehicle in violation of an order preventing the person from driving

AED 3,000

Driving a vehicle without a valid license

AED 3,000

Removing the number plate of a vehicle without permission to use it on another vehicle

AED 2,000

Failure to stop after causing a vehicle accident

AED 2,000

Refusing to provide name or address to a police officer

AED 1,000

 

 




Footnotes:

[i] Under the UAE Penal Code, ‘Misdemeanors’ are crimes that are punishable by a fine, diyah and/or a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years. ’Offences’ are crimes that are punishable by a fine or by detention for a period not exceeding ten days.