Positive new legal development – The UAE enacts a new
federal law on the regulation of the experts profession before
judicial authorities (the New Law).
The New Law ensures that experts are now held more accountable,
provides clarity on the role and qualification of the expert and
imposes fines and imprisonment for violations.
Old Law
Currently, the appointment of experts is dealt with under UAE
Federal Law No. 8 of 1974 (the Old Law) and the Law on Evidence
(Federal Law No. 10 of 1992). The court can appoint an expert at
any stage to investigate matters with which the court considers it
requires assistance. In practice, in the majority of civil cases
(whether technical in nature or not) the court will appoint an
expert to opine on the issues in dispute.
