Few situations are more stressful than facing a criminal allegation, whether you are an individual who has been summoned by the police or a company under regulatory investigation. What is at stake — your freedom, your standing, your ability to remain and work in the country — is too important to face alone. ABR Advocates & Legal Consultants provides calm, strategic and strictly confidential criminal defence at every stage of the process, from the first police contact to a final appeal.
We represent clients across the full spectrum of criminal matters in the UAE — from minor offences to serious felonies, and from straightforward charges to complex financial prosecutions. Our role is to protect your rights at each step, to test the case against you, and to pursue the most favourable outcome the facts and the law allow, whether that means having a complaint dismissed, securing release, negotiating with the prosecution, or defending you at trial.
Two principles guide the work. The first is early intervention: what happens in the opening hours and days of a matter — at the police station and before the Public Prosecution — often shapes everything that follows, so the sooner we are involved, the more we can do. The second is discretion: criminal matters are sensitive, and we handle them with complete confidentiality.
Criminal liability in the UAE is governed principally by the Crimes and Penalties Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021) and the procedure that applies to it by the Criminal Procedure Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2022). Online and digital offences fall largely under the law on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021). We work within this framework daily and explain, in plain terms, exactly where you stand and what each stage involves.
We attend with clients at the police and Public Prosecution stage, advise on what is being alleged and how to respond, make bail and pre-trial applications to secure release, and act urgently on travel bans — both challenging bans already imposed and addressing the underlying matter that gave rise to them.
Where a matter proceeds to court, we provide full criminal defence representation — examining the evidence, identifying weaknesses in the prosecution case, presenting your account, and advocating for you before the court.
A conviction at first instance is not the end of the road. We assess the realistic grounds for challenge and represent clients on appeal and before the Court of Cassation, the UAE’s highest court for points of law.
Alongside general criminal defence, we have particular strength in financially driven and modern offences, where criminal law meets commercial and forensic understanding:
Financial and white-collar crime — the broad category of non-violent, financially motivated offences, including embezzlement, money laundering and regulatory breaches.
Fraud and breach of trust — allegations involving deception to obtain a benefit, or the misappropriation of property or funds entrusted to a person’s care.
Cheque and financial dishonour — an area transformed by recent reform. Since the Commercial Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022), a cheque returned for insufficient funds is generally no longer a criminal matter; it is treated as a writ of execution and enforced through the civil execution court. Criminal liability now attaches mainly to bad-faith conduct — closing the account, instructing the bank not to pay, or forgery and fraud — and we advise on which side of that line a case falls.
Cybercrime and online offences — allegations arising from electronic communications, social media, data and online conduct under the cybercrime law.
We act both for individuals facing personal jeopardy and for companies confronting regulatory or criminal investigations, internal fraud, or the exposure of their directors and managers. For corporate clients, we combine criminal defence with an understanding of the commercial consequences a prosecution can carry.
Criminal matters rarely keep office hours, and the early steps are often the most important. We treat every matter with complete confidentiality and are contactable for urgent situations. If you or someone close to you has been contacted by the authorities, take advice before responding.
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Ask a questionIf you are facing a criminal allegation or investigation, contact ABR Advocates & Legal Consultants now for urgent, confidential advice.
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