Criminal Defense

Immediate, discreet representation from the first police complaint to final appeal.

The early stages of a UAE criminal investigation can be decisive. From the initial police complaint through the Public Prosecution’s assessment of whether the matter should proceed, statements are recorded, evidence is collected, electronic devices may be examined and precautionary measures, including travel restrictions, may be imposed. Legal advice at this stage can materially affect how the case develops.

We respond promptly and discreetly. Our work may include advising clients before police or prosecution interviews, attending investigative procedures where permitted, reviewing statements and supporting evidence, preparing written submissions to the Public Prosecution, applying for bail and seeking the removal of travel restrictions. Where the evidence does not justify further action, we make focused representations for the complaint to be dismissed or the file closed before referral to court.

A criminal conviction may have consequences beyond the sentence itself, including implications for residency, employment, professional standing and international travel. We assess those risks from the outset and manage the matter as a whole, from the investigation stage through trial, appeal and any related immigration or regulatory issues.

What we do

• Police station and prosecution attendance — Representation from the moment a complaint is filed, including attendance at the police station and the Public Prosecution, review of your statement before signature, and submissions on why the file should be closed.
• Bail, travel bans and release — Applications for release, removal of travel bans, return of seized passports and release of frozen accounts. We also act for those who discover a ban only at the airport, which happens more often than people expect.
• Financial and white-collar crime — Fraud, breach of trust, embezzlement, forgery and money-laundering allegations, including matters where a commercial dispute has been recast as a criminal complaint in order to apply pressure.
• Cheque and debt-related complaints — Bounced-cheque cases and the enforcement that follows them. The law has softened considerably in recent years and many of these matters now have a commercial resolution. We look for that first.
• Cybercrime and defamation — Online defamation, insult, unauthorised disclosure and social-media offences. These cases turn on screenshots, timestamps and device evidence, so the defence has to be built technically as well as legally.
• Traffic and negligence offences — Serious traffic matters, reckless driving and incidents causing injury or death, including the interaction between the criminal case and the civil claim for compensation that usually accompanies it.
• Acting for complainants — Where you are the injured party, we prepare and file the complaint, assemble the evidence the Prosecution will need, and follow the file through so that it does not quietly stall.
• Appeals and deportation — Appeals against conviction and sentence, and applications to set aside or overturn deportation orders.

Who we act for

Individuals and executives under investigation, companies exposed to corporate criminal liability, and complainants who need a file properly prepared and pursued.

Our criminal team is contactable at short notice, including outside office hours.

Common questions

I have been asked to attend a police station. Should I go alone?

No. Attend, but attend with a lawyer. The statement you give becomes the foundation of the file and is very difficult to walk back afterwards.

How do I know whether there is a travel ban against me?

Bans can be checked through the police and prosecution systems. We can make that enquiry discreetly on your behalf, before you book a flight rather than after.

Can a criminal complaint be withdrawn?

In certain categories of case a complainant’s waiver ends the matter. In others the Prosecution proceeds regardless. Establishing which category you are in is the first step.

Will a case affect my residency visa?

It can. Some convictions carry deportation, and a few carry it automatically. That risk should shape the defence strategy from day one.