Introduction
On 18 April 2024, the Ruler of Dubai established the new
Judicial Authority for Resolving Jurisdictional Conflicts between
the DIFC Courts and the Judicial Bodies in the Emirate of Dubai
(the “New Judicial Authority”). The
New Judicial Authority was established by Dubai Decree no. 24 of
2024 (the “New Decree“), and replaced
the previous authority, the Joint Judicial Committee (the
“JJC”), established by Dubai Decree
no. 19 of 2016 (the
“Old Decree”).
In what is a major departure from its part-judicial and
part-advisory role, the New Judicial Authority is now tasked with a
more definitive mandate: to focus solely on being the final arbiter
of jurisdictional conflicts in Dubai. As its name suggests, the New
Judicial Authority's purview extends beyond the DIFC Courts
and the Dubai Courts, and its decisions now carry significant
implications for litigants in the Emirate.
