Q: If you have been sentenced for a bounced cheque and then a civil case is brought against you, what would happen if you do not have all the funds to pay the full amount? Would the judge accept a lump sum and then installments until all the money is repaid?

Q: Salaam Alaikum The bank bounced a cheque of AED 103,000 for my business partner and filed a criminal case. My partner has already paid "more" than the cheque amount of AED 106,585. We have full proof. Only AED 53,000 was outstanding - this is mostly interest, legal charges, late charges and fines. The rest is all paid properly. Unfortunately, this year his business had a lot of losses. As he was unable to pay the full amount, as per new Dubai laws and Police, he paid 10,000 AED fine and got the criminal case removed by the public prosecutor a few days ago. Now, the bank told him they will file a civil case. What happens now? How many weeks will it take to get a court hearing and what's his recourse?

Q: Hi, I have filed a case against my client for the returned cheque of 45k. He got released after paying a fine. How can I file a civil case and which department should I approach?

س: سلام عليكم، هناك مشاكل مع الزوجة وقد كتبت لها شيكًا بقيمة 500 ألف في عام 2016. سافرت لعلاج الوالد وتفاجأت بأنها أودعت الشيك ورجع الشيك لعدم كفاية الرصيد. رجعت إلى دبي وتفاجأت بوجود تعميم عليّ وسُجِنت وخرجت بدفع الغرامة. هناك اعتراف لها على الواتساب بأن هذا الشيك نتج عن خلافاتنا العائلية وليس لمعاملة تجارية. هل تستطيع هي رفع قضية ضدي؟ وهل أستطيع أن أرفع قضية خيانة أمانة لاستغلالها سفري وتقديم الشيك؟ مع العلم أن هناك محادثات واتساب بعد إيداعها الشيك تُشير إلى أن الشيك لخلافات عائلية. هل يُحتَمل أن تنجح قضية خيانة الأمانة حتى تستطيع وقف الدعوى المدنية ضدي؟ وشكرًا!

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.