Can the holder of a bounced cheque cash it directly without a court case?

Largely, yes — and this is one of the biggest practical effects of the 2022 reform. Since Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2020 came into force on 2 January 2022, an unpaid or partially paid cheque is treated as an executory instrument (a writ of execution). That means the beneficiary can take the cheque, together with the bank's confirmation of non-payment, directly to the execution judge to begin recovery, instead of first filing a separate lawsuit to establish the debt. In addition, the bank is required to pay out any partial balance available in the account, and the holder retains the right to pursue the unpaid remainder through enforcement. This route was designed to make recovery faster and to shift cheque disputes from the criminal system into civil enforcement. The exact filing process, documents and any court fees are set by the competent court, so confirm them locally. If you want help preparing an execution file or recovering the balance, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI.