As reported in Khaleej Times
DUBAI — The Civil Court of Appeal on Wednesday adjourned hearing in a civil case, regarding practising law by non-Emirati lawyers in the Courts of Appeal and Cassation, to September 19.
On April 20, Egyptian lawyer Hamdi Al Shiwi won a civil suit against Director-General of Dubai Courts Dr Ahmed bin Hazim’s decision of banning non-Emirati lawyers from pleading in the Courts of Appeal and Cassation.
The legal department of Dubai Courts appealed the verdict.
Bin Hazeem’s decision was issued in October 2008.
It sopped expatriate lawyers from legally representing clients in appeal and cassation stages. It also gave non-Emirati lawyers a deadline until March 2012 to stop having a legal presence in the Courts of First Instance.
Emirati lawyers file petition
In Wednesday’s session, Emirati lawyer Abdel Hamid Al Kmeiti presented a petition to the judge signed by 57 local lawyers. Al Kmeiti intervened as a rival party to Al Shiwi.
In their petition, they requested that their intervention be approved and called for referring the present civil case to the Federal Supreme Court and to revoke the appealed verdict (which quashed the ban decision) and dismiss the case.
Al Kmeiti also requested the court to order Al Shiwi to pay the lawsuit expenses and lawyer fees for the case.
Al Shiwi earlier argued in his lawsuit that the courts director-general’s decision is unlawful as it cancelled a law issued in1996 on the regulation of practising law in Dubai.
The law entitled Arab lawyers, who carry Dubai-permits, to practise law before the courts.
He also questioned in his lawsuit how could an administrative decision cancel a 2000 decree issued by the Ruler that allowed Arab lawyers to practise law after obtaining a licence from the Economic Department without the need of a local partner.