Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law
Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021
The UAE Crimes and Penalties Law is the general federal penal code, establishing criminal-law principles, responsibility, participation, penalties and measures and defining a broad range of offences against persons, property, public service, justice and public security.
Overview
What this legislation covers
The UAE Crimes and Penalties Law is the general federal penal code, establishing criminal-law principles, responsibility, participation, penalties and measures and defining a broad range of offences against persons, property, public service, justice and public security.
Who or what it applies to
- Persons and offences falling within UAE federal/local criminal jurisdiction.
- General criminal-law rules that also apply to offences in specialised penal laws unless those laws provide otherwise.
- Public prosecution, criminal courts, accused persons, victims and enforcement authorities.
Key points
Important points at a glance
General federal penal code effective from 2 January 2022.
Book One contains general criminal-law provisions applicable to offences unless a special penal law provides otherwise.
Sets the legality principle and rules on temporal, territorial and personal application.
Defines felony and misdemeanour classifications and consequences.
Regulates completed offences, attempts and forms of criminal participation.
Regulates intent, error and causal responsibility.
Contains grounds of justification and rules affecting criminal responsibility.
Regulates principal penalties, accessory consequences and criminal measures.
Contains rules on aggravating/mitigating circumstances and multiple offences.
Book Two defines offences across public security, state interests, public service, justice, persons, family, honour, property and other protected interests.
Operates alongside specialised criminal statutes such as cybercrime, AML/CFT, narcotics and anti-discrimination legislation.
Crimes involving Qisas and Diya are subject to the statutory interaction with Islamic Shari'ah described by the code.
Article 1 states that crimes of Qisas and Diya are governed by Islamic Shari'ah and other crimes/penalties are governed by the code and penal legislation.
Penalties are personal and the accused is presumed innocent until conviction through lawful proceedings.
Current case analysis must also use the Criminal Procedure Law and Evidence legislation.
Practical explanation
Understanding the law
Purpose and practical effect
The UAE Crimes and Penalties Law is the general federal penal code, establishing criminal-law principles, responsibility, participation, penalties and measures and defining a broad range of offences against persons, property, public service, justice and public security.
Who the law applies to
- Persons and offences falling within UAE federal/local criminal jurisdiction.
- General criminal-law rules that also apply to offences in specialised penal laws unless those laws provide otherwise.
- Public prosecution, criminal courts, accused persons, victims and enforcement authorities.
Key definitions
- Felony and Misdemeanour are statutory offence classifications linked to the applicable penalty framework.
- Intent and criminal error are assessed under the general rules in Book One.
- Principal perpetrator, accomplice/participant and attempt have specific statutory meanings.
- Penalty and criminal measure are distinct concepts under the code.
Main rights, duties and legal consequences
- No person may be punished except under a law defining the offence and penalty.
- Criminal responsibility is personal and must be established through lawful proceedings.
- Accused persons have procedural rights under the Constitution and Criminal Procedure Law.
- Courts must apply exact offence elements and applicable general/special penal-law rules.
Practical compliance / procedure checklist
- Identify the precise offence provision and any specialised penal statute that may displace/supplement the general code.
- Apply Book One general rules on jurisdiction, intent, attempt, participation, justification and responsibility.
- Use the Criminal Procedure Law for investigation, arrest, prosecution, trial and appeal.
- Use Evidence legislation for admissibility/proof issues.
- Before stating a penalty, verify the current article, offence classification, aggravating factors and any later amendment.
Deadlines and effective dates
- Effective date: 2 January 2022.
- Limitation, appeal, detention and other procedural periods are governed by the Criminal Procedure Law and offence classification.
- Sentencing and enforcement timing depend on the judgment and applicable procedure.
Enforcement, violations and penalties
This is high-stakes criminal legislation. Penalties range widely by offence and may include imprisonment, fines, accessory consequences and criminal measures. The package deliberately avoids generalising a penalty from one offence to another; the exact current Arabic article and procedural context should be checked.
Practical scenarios
- A digital fraud case can involve both the general fraud provisions and the Cybercrime Decree-Law.
- A public employee accused of taking an improper benefit may be subject to specialised public-service/bribery offences.
- A person assisting another in an offence may incur liability under participation rules even if not the direct perpetrator.
- A claim of self-defence or other justification must be assessed against the code's exact statutory conditions.
Amendments and implementation
Always use the current consolidated penal code together with specialised penal legislation and the current Criminal Procedure Law.
Legal research caution
The principal federal statute, its amendments, Executive Regulations, Cabinet/Ministerial/FTA/MOHRE/TDRA decisions and sector-specific rules can operate together. Commentary in this file explains practical operation but does not create duties beyond enacted law. Always confirm the current version applicable to the date and facts in question.
Research status
Official-source review for this package was updated on 2026-09-07.
Practical notes
- Use the official current Arabic text for interpretation and application; the English package is a structured legal-information rendering.
- Verify the current consolidated version and related regulations immediately before a filing, transaction, enforcement decision or court submission.
- Exact penalties, thresholds, exceptions and procedural deadlines must be checked against the exact current article and implementing instrument.
- The supplied cover artwork is used as an editorial cover only and is not a source of legal authority.
Legislation text
Text and provisions
Official-text notice. This file is a comprehensive structured English legal-information rendering based on the official UAE sources listed in this package. It is not presented as a verbatim legally controlling English reproduction. For interpretation and application, consult the original Arabic text, the Official Gazette and the latest consolidated official legislation. Exact offence elements, penalties, exceptions, thresholds and deadlines must be checked against the current article.
Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law
Verified legislative metadata
| Instrument | Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 |
|---|---|
| Issued | 2021-09-20 |
| Effective | 2022-01-02 |
| Status | Active / in force |
| Official source | Official UAE source |
Legislative purpose and coverage
The UAE Crimes and Penalties Law is the general federal penal code, establishing criminal-law principles, responsibility, participation, penalties and measures and defining a broad range of offences against persons, property, public service, justice and public security.
Complete statutory structure and principal provisions
Book One — General Provisions
Establishes the general principles of criminal law, including legality, application, offence classification, elements of crime, participation, responsibility, penalties and measures.
Application of criminal law
Regulates temporal effect, territorial jurisdiction and circumstances in which UAE criminal law applies to acts committed abroad.
The offence and criminal participation
Defines offence classifications, attempt, principal/secondary participation, intent and related doctrines.
Grounds of justification and criminal responsibility
Regulates lawful justification, capacity and circumstances that affect or exclude criminal responsibility.
Penalties
Provides the general framework for felony and misdemeanour penalties, fines, imprisonment/detention and accessory/consequential effects.
Criminal measures
Contains preventive and other criminal measures that courts may impose where the statutory conditions are met.
Aggravation, mitigation and multiple offences
Provides general sentencing rules, judicial mitigation/aggravation and treatment of multiple offences.
Book Two — Offences
Defines substantive crimes grouped according to the public/private interest protected by the law.
Offences affecting state/public security
Contains offences concerning state security and public order, while specialised federal laws may also apply.
Offences involving public service and public trust
Covers specified bribery, misuse of office, forgery, false instruments and related conduct.
Offences against justice
Contains offences affecting judicial proceedings, evidence, reporting and enforcement.
Offences against persons
Covers homicide, bodily harm, threats, coercion and other offences against personal safety.
Family, honour and morality offences
Contains criminal provisions protecting specified family/social interests and personal honour.
Property offences
Covers theft, fraud, breach of trust, damage and other property-related crimes, alongside specialised legislation.
Final provisions and transition
The promulgating decree-law repealed/replaced the former federal penal code framework and became effective on 2 January 2022.
Key statutory points
- General federal penal code effective from 2 January 2022.
- Book One contains general criminal-law provisions applicable to offences unless a special penal law provides otherwise.
- Sets the legality principle and rules on temporal, territorial and personal application.
- Defines felony and misdemeanour classifications and consequences.
- Regulates completed offences, attempts and forms of criminal participation.
- Regulates intent, error and causal responsibility.
- Contains grounds of justification and rules affecting criminal responsibility.
- Regulates principal penalties, accessory consequences and criminal measures.
- Contains rules on aggravating/mitigating circumstances and multiple offences.
- Book Two defines offences across public security, state interests, public service, justice, persons, family, honour, property and other protected interests.
- Operates alongside specialised criminal statutes such as cybercrime, AML/CFT, narcotics and anti-discrimination legislation.
- Crimes involving Qisas and Diya are subject to the statutory interaction with Islamic Shari'ah described by the code.
- Article 1 states that crimes of Qisas and Diya are governed by Islamic Shari'ah and other crimes/penalties are governed by the code and penal legislation.
- Penalties are personal and the accused is presumed innocent until conviction through lawful proceedings.
- Current case analysis must also use the Criminal Procedure Law and Evidence legislation.
Amendments, executive regulations and related legislation
Always use the current consolidated penal code together with specialised penal legislation and the current Criminal Procedure Law.
Reading rule for case-specific use
This structured rendering is designed to give the website a complete substantive map of the legislation and its operative areas. Where a legal conclusion turns on precise wording, an article number, a penalty, an exception, an implementing decision or a transitional rule, the official Arabic text and current related legislation must be used before reliance.
Verification
Official source & references
Official legislation sourcehttps://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1529Open ↗This page is a research and educational resource. Legislation can be amended, repealed, supplemented by regulations or interpreted by courts and authorities. Obtain advice before relying on it for a live matter.