Is there any risk of punishment for reporting domestic abuse to the police?

QIf an expatriate woman reports domestic abuse to the police, can she get into trouble with the law or be at risk of deportation?

AAbsolutely not. The UAE Federal Penal Law, in Articles 336 until 343, protects the personal safety of the individual regardless of whether they are a citizen or an expatriate. Anyone who tries to harm another person will face punishment. Therefore, any person who has been physically harmed or subjected to domestic abuse can approach police and file a criminal claim against their husband, wife or parent.

What happens to an expatriate if a cheque they paid someone bounces?

It all depends on the beneficiary, who may ask the payer to issue another cheque or file a criminal case with prosecutors. If a case is filed, an arrest warrant will be issued by the prosecutor against the cheque’s signer and police will arrest them. If that happens in Dubai, and the case is taken to court, the outcome of any criminal procedures depends on the value of the bounced cheque. If it is below Dh200,000, the prosecutor will fine the defendant. If the value is higher than Dh200,000, the prosecutor will refer the defendant to court where the defendant will probably face a fine and a jail sentence. Does my marriage have to be officially recognised by the UAE Government before moving there with my spouse or is a marriage licence from another country acceptable? A marriage certificate from the expatriate’s country is considered valid in UAE. But to avoid inconvenience or delays in visa processing the expatriate should make sure that the marriage certificate is attested by the foreign affairs authorities in their home country and then their embassy in the UAE. Finally, the certificate should be attested by the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that it can be used for any transaction in the country.

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