Criminal Appeals & Cassation in the UAE

Understanding Criminal Appeals & Cassation in the UAE

The UAE’s criminal process builds in two levels of challenge. An appeal re-examines the case before the Court of Appeal, where facts, evidence, and sentence can be revisited and new arguments advanced. Cassation is different in kind: the Court of Cassation reviews the judgment for errors of law — misapplication of the law, defective reasoning, or procedural violations that affected the outcome — rather than re-weighing the facts. Each stage has its own strict deadline running from the judgment, and missing it forfeits the right entirely, which is why acting immediately after an adverse judgment matters more than anything else.

Effective appellate work is forensic: obtaining the full reasoned judgment and case file, isolating the errors that actually move appellate courts, and drafting grounds in precise legal Arabic that engage the judgment’s reasoning rather than simply repeating the trial defence. We handle appeals of conviction and sentence, prosecution appeals against clients, and cassation challenges — and we give honest assessments of prospects before fees are spent, because not every judgment should be appealed.

How ABR Advocates Can Help