Statement of Defence

A statement of defence (defence memorandum) is the defendant's formal written answer to a statement of claim in UAE court proceedings. It responds to each allegation, raises procedural objections — such as lack of jurisdiction, expiry of the limitation period, or an arbitration clause — and attaches the defendant's evidence. UAE civil litigation is heavily written: most cases are decided through exchanged memoranda rather than oral argument, so the defence memorandum is usually the defendant's main weapon. It matters because objections not raised at the right stage can be deemed waived, and because the court of first instance forms its view from these submissions. You meet it when you are served with a claim and the court sets a hearing date: your lawyer files the defence through the court's electronic system, often followed by further reply memoranda from each side.