Dubai Court of Appeal Set to Review Dh7,000 Fine in Phone Insult Case

The Dubai Public Prosecution has appealed a ruling by the Court of First Instance after it fined a defendant Dh7,000 for insulting another person over the phone, saying the penalty exceeded what is permitted under UAE law.

 

On November 19, 2024, the lower court found the defendant guilty of verbal insult and imposed the fine. Prosecutors contend that the ruling violated Article 427 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on Issuing the Crimes and Penalties Law, which governs insult offences.

 

Under Article 427, anyone who insults another person directly, whether in person or over the phone, faces imprisonment of up to six months or a fine not exceeding Dh5,000. The law explicitly sets this as the maximum penalty, and courts are not permitted to impose fines above that limit.

 

“The legislator set a clear ceiling for this penalty. It is not permissible to go beyond it,” the appeal stated.

 

The appeal was filed by Tareq Ahmad Al-Baloushi, Head of the First Prosecution, and will be heard before the Dubai Court of Appeal.

 

In the UAE, insult offences are treated seriously under criminal law. While the law provides for relatively light punishments in verbal or phone insults, harsher penalties apply if the insult is made in writing, broadcast publicly, or posted online, where fines can reach up to Dh500,000 under cybercrime legislation.

 

 

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