Justice in the United Arab Emirates (law enforcement ) - Research Paper Example

However, the norms related to compliance, accountability and justice are more or less uniform despite the differences. Factors such as independence, transparency of the regulating bodies, negligence and abuse by officials responsible for ensuring justice, etc., play a key role in determining the success or failure of the law enforcement systems. This paper on justice in the United Arab Emirates discusses the status and composition of law enforcement in the region and compares the same with the United States.

“Our system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in our religion, and is based on Gods book, the Holy Quran. . its teachings are eternal and complete, while the systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete.” Islam is an official religion in the UAE and holds a position of key importance within its constitution. Religion in the U.A.E., holds significant jurisprudence in the middle eastern states and the Sharia Law is the key basis of legal legislations in the middle east.

The criminal justice system in the U.A.E., is composed of a two-fold regime which includes the Sharia Law - governed by Islamic legal doctrines and is based on the Holy Quran; the sayings of Prophet Mohammed (known as the Hadith); the juristic consensus arrived at by prominent religious scholars i.e. the Ulema; and the method of reasoning by analogy i.e. the Qiyas. The civil justice system on the other hand, is governed by concepts and ideologies on criminal law derived from the western world (Mostyn, 1982).

The Sharia law is mostly applied to matters of personal concern and only the citizens are covered under this law, i.e. the punishments under this law are applicable to the citizens of the U.A.E., while expats and foreigners are referred to and dealt with under the criminal justice system which applies concepts and ideologies derived from western legal laws. The legal system in the U.A.E. is based on its constitution