Q: I am here on a tourist visa. A UAE local who is a sponsor of a company owned by my boss has had a falling out. I am not connected to this business in any way. However, because I am connected with the foreign investor, the local has opened a criminal case against me. The allegations are completely unfounded, however, I am currently awaiting the prosecutor's verdict. I have a travel ban and my passport is being held by the police. Once found innocent, can I claim defamation of character and claim my losses, holidays missed, lost business in my home country as I have not been able to return and tarnish my reputation?

Q: Good day, I was hoping to get legal advice regarding my situation. Three of us in the company filed a labor complaint against the employer due to delayed and incomplete salary since May of 2020. The labor called our employer and agrees to settle our due within 10 days, however after that conversation, our boss sent us messages falsely accusing us of theft. He said that he has evidence but we are sure that this is just a threat as we didn't do anything wrong. On the day of settlement, as he promised, he never gave us anything, instead, he harassed us to sign the cancellation without getting our balance and threatened us that we will go to jail if we refuse. We know that this is what will happen because he did the same thing to other ex-employees who complained and those who ended contracts with him not getting anything because of that wrongful accusation. What should we do next? Shall we inform the labor regarding this or just file a case for defamation regarding his false allegation?

Q: Hello, I was having a criminal case going on in Dubai court for the last 10 months and the case was filed by my employer regarding data theft but now the judgement has come up in my favour. I would request you to help me regarding whether I can file a compensation case against my employer. I was working in this organization for the last 3.5 years and resigned in Jan 2019, but they stopped employing me in the middle of the notice period. They told me that they will cancel my visa and clear outstanding dues. But it didn't happen and then I filled a labour case and won. But in March 2019 they filed a criminal case and the judgement has come in this month as innocent from the first instance court. I was jobless for the last 1.5 years and I'm totally defamed in the market and can't get a new job. Please advise whether I can file a civil compensation claim to cover my liability and wastage of money due to this case.

Q: Can a person open a criminal case for slander of adultery after one and a half years and what is the penalty for this kind of accusation in court?

Q: Dear Lawyers, My former partner in the company has been saying bad things about me and my family, especially after his cheque payment bounced. He directly threatened, via his company email, to defame me among my relatives. He also sent a WhatsApp voice message (in Persian) to my brother-in-law, filled with offensive language and defamation threats against me and my family. 1) Are the email and WhatsApp voice messages sufficient proof to file a defamation case? 2) Can I send him a legal notice in advance and request an apology letter within 7 days? 3) Do I have the right to ask for a signed apology letter addressed to me and my family? 4) Can I share the apology letter with the people he defamed me to?

Q: My company has a dispute with a maintenance company. Their actions and poor service caused us financial losses and damaged our reputation. We owe them a small amount of AED 1300 only. We also have proof of all the losses that we incurred. This maintenance company now bombarding my Google account with defamation reviews. We have suggested that they address their concern regarding the payment to the authorities, and we will respond officially. However, they don't want to do this and threaten us with more negative reviews. Please advise, what is the best action to take in this case?

Q: I have a misdemeanor case hearing in misdemeanor circuit court, I'm the complainant (insult over messages) and the accused (insult in public). No witness exists, I may have confessed in a message. I have given my statement to the police and public prosecution. 1. How many hearings and timelines would it take for this case to finish? 2. Will the 2 parties be in the same room at the same time during the hearing? 3. Can I hire a lawyer and let him deal with this rather than attending hearings? If so, does it impact my case or judgment in any case? 4. What could be the possible outcomes of this case?

An interview-format article covering the topic of the amendments to the company law in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

An interview-format article covering the topic of filing an employment court case in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

The provisions of this Law, known as "UAE Labour Law", govern the relationship between employers and employees and other labour matters in the United Arab Emirates. There are special labour related regulations applicable in some of the free zones in the UAE.

The provisions of this Decree-Law, known as "New UAE Labor Law", govern labour relations in the private sector of the United Arab Emirates. The New Labor Law repeals the previous UAE Labor Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980).