Civil Procedure Law · Federal Decree-Law 42 of 2022
Article 5
Preliminary Part: General Provisions
English translation
1. Arabic shall be the official language of courts, and the Court shall hear the statements of the non-Arabic-speaking litigants, witnesses and others through an interpreter after the latter takes the oath according to the Law.
2. Notwithstanding any provision set forth in any other law, the Chairman of the Federal Judicial Council or the Head of the Local judicial body, as the case may be, may decide that English be the language of trials, procedures, judgments and decisions in respect of certain tribunals that are assigned to hear the proceedings involving specialized matters, specific cases or particular proceedings. In which case, the statements of litigants, witnesses or lawyers, shall all be heard in English, and the statements, pleadings, applications and other documents shall also be submitted to such tribunals in English. In addition, the court shall hear the statements of non-English-speaking litigants, witnesses or other persons through an interpreter after the latter takes the oath according to the law, in the cases and according to the controls and conditions to be prescribed in the relevant decision.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
.1 لغة المحاكم هي اللغة العربية، وعلى المحكمة أن تسمع أقوال الخصوم أو الشهود أو غيرهم الذين يجهلون اللغة العربية بواسطة مترجم بعد حلف اليمين، وفقًا للقانون.
.2 استثناء من أي نص ورد في أي قانون آخر، لرئقس مجلس القضاء الاتحادي أو رئقس النهة القضائية المحلية حسب الأحوال، أن يُقرر في بعض الدوائر المخصصة لنظر المنازعات المتعلقة بالمواد التخصصية، أو في دعوى محددة، أو في بعض الدعاوى، أن تكون لغة المحاكمة والإجراءات والأحكام والقرارات فيها هي اللغة الإنجليزية، ويكون سماع الخصوم أو الشهود أو المحامين وتقديم اللوائح والمذكرات والطلبات والمستندات في هذه الدوائر باللغة الإنجليزية، وعلى المحكمة أن تسمع أقوال الخصوم أو الشهود أو غيرهم الذين يجهلون اللغة الإنجليزية بواسطة مترجم بعد حلف اليمين وفقًا للقانون، وذلك في الحالات ووفق الضوابط والشروط التي يصدر بها القرار.
What it means when you sign
This article sets the language of the courts. Arabic is the official language of courts, and the court hears the statements of litigants, witnesses and others who do not speak Arabic through an interpreter who has taken the oath according to the law.
There is an exception. Despite any provision in any other law, the Chairman of the Federal Judicial Council or the head of the local judicial body may decide that English is the language of trials, procedures, judgments and decisions in certain tribunals that hear specialised matters, specific cases or particular proceedings. In those tribunals, hearings, pleadings, applications and documents are in English, and the court hears non-English speakers through a sworn interpreter, in the cases and under the controls set by the decision.
When you are about to sign a contract, this article means that a dispute heard in the ordinary courts is conducted in Arabic. A clause that names a court, or says the contract is in English or in two languages, may be affected by it, since the language of the proceedings is set by this article and not by the contract.
Not yet cited in a Fahm report; shown because it sits in the same chapter as one that is.
Related articles
- Article 19Cited in Fahm reportsThis article says when the courts have jurisdiction over a case against a person.
- Article 20Cited in Fahm reportsThis article lists when the courts have jurisdiction over a foreigner who has no place of residence or domicile in the State.
- Article 21Cited in Fahm reportsThis article extends the courts' jurisdiction beyond the main case.
- Article 22This article covers a case where the defendant does not appear and the court has no jurisdiction under the earlier articles on the courts' jurisdiction over persons from abroad.
- Article 33Cited in Fahm reportsThis article decides which court within the State hears a case, by location.
- Article 34This article decides which court hears property-related cases, by location.