Extradition Lawyer in Dubai: Dubai Courts and the Local Procedure

Which Dubai authority actually receives the file?

Dubai has its own local courts and prosecutor, although the UAE Ministry of Justice acts as the federal central authority for requests from abroad. In extradition, the Court of Appeal is the original court deciding legal eligibility, not merely an ordinary appeal from a first-instance criminal trial. The Dubai government expressly assigns extradition-related judicial assistance to Dubai Public Prosecution.

The official account of the Sanjay Shah case records a refusal by Dubai Court of Appeal, a challenge by Dubai Attorney-General before Dubai Court of Cassation, and reconsideration by a differently constituted Court of Appeal panel. This proves the local judicial route, not a binding legal principle about any defence ground. The named courtroom, case reference and next sitting must be verified on the actual notice.

DXB or DWC arrest: the first 72 hours are an action plan

Dubai International (DXB) has Terminals 1, 2 and 3; Al Maktoum International (DWC) is a separate airport, roughly 60 kilometres away. Ask for the airport, terminal, flight, arrest time, police reference and first place of detention. An arrival location is not proof of the current prison. A reported INTERPOL Red Notice is not itself a UAE arrest warrant or a completed extradition request.

This table is a practical first-72-hours checklist, not a statutory deadline for a court hearing. Article 17 concerns appearance before the prosecutor within 48 hours of arrest. Article 18 uses a different trigger: referral to the competent court within 15 days after the Attorney-General reviews the extradition request. The actual hearing date is individual; article 19 calls for a closed session with prosecution, person sought and counsel if present.

Where is the detainee, and how do visits work?

Neither an airport arrest nor a Dubai court case number establishes the particular holding facility. Police custody, remand custody, a sentence and a separate UAE charge can produce different access arrangements. Confirm the custodial authority and identity number before organising a visit or delivering medication. Do not assume transfer to a named prison.

British government guidance states that remand visits require permission from the public prosecution and that many Dubai prison visits can be booked through the Dubai Police app, with exceptions. Dubai Police’s non-emergency 901 service also handles requests related to visits to detainees and inmates. These channels are not an automatic entitlement. Article 17 permits a lawyer during prosecution questioning; request interpretation if the person cannot understand the proceedings. Article 11 requires Arabic translations of the foreign request papers, which does not mean the detainee personally understands Arabic.

The 60-day rule is not a universal release date

Under Article 15 of Federal Law 39/2006, as amended by Federal Decree-Law 38/2023, an urgent foreign judicial warrant may support detention for up to 60 days while the formal request is awaited. The Attorney-General or delegate may order release on guarantees. After a release, receipt of the request can allow a fresh 60-day arrest; the statute also addresses flight-risk detention. Article 16 separately applies when the request has already arrived.

A person cannot safely assume automatic discharge on day 60. Ask Dubai counsel to inspect the actual arrest order, when the formal request arrived, whether there has been a new order, and the basis for any extension or release on guarantees. Article 28 instead addresses collection after an authorised surrender, including a 30-day collection period from notification and separate late-transfer rules; it is not the initial urgent-arrest clock.

Which Dubai court receives the challenge?

Articles 20–24 deal with the reasoned court decision and special review. Under Article 22, the person sought and the Attorney-General or delegate have 30 days from the date the extradition decision is rendered to challenge it. Article 23 calls for a review hearing to be fixed no later than 10 days after filing. Dubai official reports establish the Dubai Court of Cassation as the reviewing court for decisions of Dubai Court of Appeal in the cited extradition proceedings. Confirm the precise registry and filing method immediately.

The accessible English statutory consolidation calls the reviewing body a “Court of Appeal”, while the 2023 official Arabic amendment uses “competent challenge court” (محكمة الطعن المختصة). The Arabic text prevails where translations conflict. Do not substitute an ordinary criminal appeal or infer the review court from another emirate. Public reporting in 2025 again mentions a Dubai Court of Cassation extradition decision, but does not supply a reasoned judgment creating a general precedent. No specific binding defence holding is asserted here.

A joint UAE–Ireland statement of 9 August 2026 also records a final extradition decision following a ruling of the Dubai Court of Cassation. It confirms that this local review forum remains in use, but the statement does not publish the court's reasoning or establish a general rule on release or objection grounds. If a decision was made in the person's absence, Dubai counsel should verify the authoritative Arabic rule on notice and the individual case record before calculating the deadline; learning of the decision through a relative is not a safe filing trigger.

An unappealable judicial decision is required for implementation by Article 24, and Article 26 separately requires approval by the UAE Minister of Justice. A finding that extradition is impermissible ordinarily entails release under Article 21, subject to prosecution challenge. Written, informed consent to simplified surrender under Articles 13–14 is a different route from a contested court hearing; obtain independent advice before consenting. Detailed refusal grounds belong in the separate UAE remedies guide.

Detailed UAE grounds of refusal and review.

Documents to collect before contacting Dubai counsel

• Exact passport name, all nationalities, date of birth and available identity copies.
• Last contact, flight, DXB terminal or DWC, arrest time, police and detention references.
• Arrest papers, custody order, prosecution record, court number, summons and decision.
• Foreign warrant, indictment or sentence and available translations clearly marked unofficial if necessary.
• Names of local and requesting-country counsel and trustworthy family contact details.
• Medical, disability or language information that authorities and counsel must know.

Dubai Courts has an online Case Application Inquiry based on application year and number, but public access does not establish that a confidential extradition file is visible. A police incident number, prosecution file and court application may be three different identifiers. Ask the Dubai lawyer to obtain the actual court reference and hearing record before relying on an online search.

A Red Notice at Terminal 2: an example

Hypothetical: a Georgian passenger is stopped at DXB Terminal 2 on information about a foreign fraud investigation. Relatives hear “Red Notice” and assume immediate surrender. Instead, counsel must identify the UAE detention order, verify presentation to Dubai Public Prosecution within 48 hours, check whether a formal extradition request was received and obtain any Dubai Court of Appeal hearing notice. A residence visa or an INTERPOL alert alone decides none of these questions.

The UAE is outside the EU European Arrest Warrant scheme. Applicable treaties must be checked for the requesting state; for example, an official UAE–Ireland statement says their extradition and mutual-assistance treaties took effect on 18 May 2025. This does not establish a treaty with another country. The national framework and other emirates have distinct guides.

The national UAE extradition procedure. Abu Dhabi court procedures. Sharjah court procedures.

For cross-border case coordination with appropriately authorised local counsel, contact the site’s team: send a confidential request.