New Commercial Courts In Abu Dhabi
ADG Legal has recently obtained a judgment issued by the newly established Abu Dhabi Commercial Court (Commercial Court). The Commercial Court was formed by Decision No.28/2019 on 4 September 2019 and comprises of minor, major and appeal chambers. The Commercial Court is completely independent and exclusive from the Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance.
It should be noted at the outset that prior to the establishment of the Commercial Court, all cases in Abu Dhabi were registered as ‘commercial’ without much attention being paid towards the commercial or civil nature of the cases. For simplification purposes, commercial cases relate to disputes between businesses while civil cases involve individuals.
ADG Legal represented the Defendant and obtained a favourable judgment on its behalf. The Court dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction and ordered the case to be transferred to the relevant Abu Dhabi First Instance Court due to the civil nature of the case. This judgment confirms that the Commercial Court has only jurisdiction over commercial disputes.
The Decision No 28/2019 further confirms that the Commercial Court shall have jurisdiction over disputes, motions, and cases arising in connection with the application of the following laws (even if the transaction is civil for one party and commercial for the other):
– Commercial Transactions law
– Commercial Companies Law
– Commercial Agencies Law
– Emirates Securities & Commodities Authority and Market
– Copyright Law
– Industrial Property Protection Law for Patents and Industrial Designs
– Transactions and Electronic Commerce Law
– Consumer Protection Law
– Competition Regulation Law
– Bankruptcy Law
– Central Bank Law
– Foreign Investment Law
– Maritime Trade Law
– Air Transport Law and Rules
Furthermore, the scope of Commercial Court’s jurisdiction will cover enforcement of foreign judgment or arbitral awards provided such judgments or awards are of commercial nature.
Accordingly, it is now imperative for law firms and/or litigants to ensure that they register their cases before the appropriate court systems. Registering a civil case with the Commercial Court would most likely be dismissed resulting in needless time and costs spend on litigation.
If you need any help in understanding the changes and the potential impact of the recent amendments, please contact us on info@adglegal.com.