Defamation Laws in UAE

The legal system of the UAE ensures safety for everyone. With a diverse population, the UAE government regularly reviews its legal standards. Considering defamation one of the criminal offenses in the UAE, the law emphasizes on reputation and accountability of the individual. However, it is also treated as civil offenses. Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, and Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 are the laws on defamation, cybercrimes, either digital or written. The defamation has various forms. It could be written, verbal, or even digital. Ruining someone’s reputation without any evidence is known as an act of defamation.

It has severe financial and physical penalties that can lead to imprisonment for the offender.

The lawyers in Dubai can handle these cases as they have gained experience with Dubai law firms. Because lawyers in Dubai are very popular for such matters. Digital laws are also well understood by these lawyers in Dubai. However, lawyers in Dubai ensure the best legal solutions for companies and individuals if they have a defamation case.

Every emirate has its laws. However, the federal laws of the UAE are applied in those emirates, ensuring legal compliance and rules for various legal matters. Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 provides the main criminal clauses some articles in the UAE legal system define defamation and penalties:

• Article 425 states that any false facts made to public contempt can lead to imprisonment of two years and a fine of up to AED 20,000.
• Article 426 says that an insult that would harm the honour or dignity of an individual, is punishable by one year in prison and AED 20,000 fine.

There could be the factors that can take the shape of defamation. A political example of defamation could be when the government or public officials are targeted by various media houses, or by social media, or organizations or by individuals. The imprisonment can be raised, depending on the severity of the damaged reputation.

Defamation is extended to online platforms, entailing cybercrime laws to avoid misuse of the digital space. The penalties for defaming individuals online are severe as it leads to imprisonment for two years and a fine between AED 250,000 and AED 500,000.

In the UAE, there is zero tolerance for defamation and misconduct in every aspect.

Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 is about cybercrime law. Includes social media posts, digital content and the fines are from 250000 to 500000.

The types of defamation have increased with passage of time. Anywhere in the world when a person’s or a company’s reputation is torn by another party, the case of defamation can be filed:

• Slander and Libel

A slander is when the third party makes false allegations against the individual or the company. Libel is a written form of defamation, which includes press releases or any kind of digital content.

• Digital Defamation

Any type of defamation conducted online through blogs, videos, chats, or apps is punishable under the UAE Cybercrime Law.

• Criminal and Civil Redress

The criminal proceedings for defamation are lodged with the authorities. Afterward, the police investigation is conducted. When the evidence is reviewed and confirmed that it is a defamation case, the punishment is decided. For cyber defamation, the punishment could be two years imprisonment and fines up to AED 250,000. However, there is an additional fine of AED 20,000 for print.

• Civil Remedies

The victim of defamation can file a legal case. They can claim compensation to cover damages to their reputation, emotional distress they have gone through, and if any financial losses were incurred. The civil lawsuits run parallel to the criminal cases, which can lead to apologies or court-ordered retractions. The Dubai law firms ensure justice for every individual in the UAE, regardless of their nationalities or religion.

The lawyers in Dubai play a significant role in defamation cases. They have various responsibilities towards clients of defamation. The legal experts have to advise clients on public communications and how should they handle social media when the case is going on. It protects them from more defamation. Moreover, they have to draft internal policies and disclaimers for clients.

The prosecutor has to evaluate the defamation claims and negotiate settlements. They also need to guide the clients about how should they take media retractions and proactive measures to avoid defamation.

The accused has all the right to defend themselves in the court. The defenses are made with the aspects of public interests, error correction, and truth. They can also try to negotiate for settlements. Nevertheless, an accused can seek dismissals or appeal for prison sentence reductions.

The digital defamation has to be handled with care. The clients are advised to gather all the evidence for digital defamation. All the online content shall be removed to restore the reputation. The Dubai law firms have serious defamation cases every day and they have legal experts to handle different types of defamation cases.

• Re-sharing misinformation carries the liability itself.
• Fake identities, fake representations are considered as criminal activities.
• AI-generated slander still generates liability.

The organizations are advised to have legal compliance to mitigate the risk of defamation in the UAE. They should apply reviews to pre-publications such as content for media, marketing, and print. Further, training on defamation and privacy laws shall be given to individuals in different places. There should be libel insurance and legal advisors to maintain business relationships accurately. The lawyers in Dubai should make efforts to resolve defamation cases on behalf of the reputed officials and companies.

The UAE has worked on digital transformation, ensuring legal compliance and transparency in every sector. However, the challenges involved when the information is reshared on different platforms. There are fake identities that can be detected online. There are some AI-generated misrepresentations available online.

The legal experts should assist clients with the latest digital trends.

The defamation laws are the same around the globe. Considering the UAE’s legal system, the criminal and civil laws are strict as compared to the West. Legal testimonies are to be believed more than the public interest defenses. Foreigners should be careful while posting anything on social media, as they do not want to get into a defamation case. The international or global context is very broad topic. You can check with our expert lawyers and legal consultants to grab more idea.