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Court of Appeal

محكمة الاستئناف

civil litigation

The Court of Appeal is the second level of the UAE onshore courts, which re-examines judgments issued by the Court of First Instance. An appeal must be filed within the deadline that runs from the judgment or its service, and it can reopen both the facts and the law: the appeal court may re-weigh evidence, appoint a new expert, accept new documents within limits, and replace the first judgment entirely. It matters because UAE litigation is genuinely two rounds — first instance outcomes are frequently adjusted on appeal, so neither a win nor a loss below is final. You meet it when either party is dissatisfied with the first judgment, in everything from commercial and construction disputes to employment and rental appeals. Its judgments can, in turn, be challenged before the Court of Cassation, but only on points of law.

Also in

محكمة الاستئناف هي الدرجة الثانية في المحاكم المحلية بالإمارات، تعيد النظر في الأحكام الصادرة عن محكمة أول درجة. يُرفع الاستئناف خلال الميعاد القانوني من صدور الحكم أو إعلانه، ويعيد طرح النزاع واقعاً وقانوناً: فللمحكمة إعادة وزن الأدلة وندب خبير جديد وقبول مستندات في حدود معينة وإلغاء الحكم الأول كلياً. وأهميتها أن التقاضي في الإمارات جولتان فعليتان، إذ كثيراً ما تُعدَّل نتائج أول درجة استئنافياً، فلا يُعد الحكم الابتدائي نهائياً كسباً أو خسارة. وأحكامها قابلة للطعن بالنقض/التمييز لكن في مسائل القانون فقط.

Plain-language summary for information only. Not legal advice. Consult a licensed UAE advocate for your specific case.

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