Legal Glossary

Legal terminology can sometimes appear complicated, but this glossary is designed to simplify things. Below, you’ll find clear, straightforward explanations of common legal terms and phrases that you may encounter in courts, contracts, or legal procedures in Ras Al Khaimah.

Legal
Glossary
A
Appeal
A degree of litigation that allows litigants to object before Court of Appeal against the judgment rendered, whether in their favor or against them, by requesting the amendment or annulment of the judgment in cases where the law allows for appeal.
Attorney fees
To be determined based on an agreement between the Lawyer and his Client and if there is no agreement, the court shall determine the fees based on the effort exerted by the Lawyer and the benefit gained by the Client.
Arbitration
Arbitration is a special jurisdiction through which disputes among parties are referred to an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators, based on prior agreement. Arbitration shall be considered as an effective means of resolving disputes, especially in international business contexts, as it contributes to speeding up procedures and reducing costs.
Acquittal
A judgment rendered upon conclusion of the Accused’s lawsuit, dropping one or more charges for lack of evidences to justify the conviction.
Appeal
It is a legal objection process through which one of the parties in the ruling can request a review of the judgment rendered by a court or level before a higher court within the legally stipulated timeframe.
B
Burden of proof
The Plaintiff shall prove his claim by means of proof and the Defendant may deny this before the court with evidences, which include written evidences (documents) - witness testimony - evidences - oath – Experts.
C
Cassation
A degree of litigation that allows litigants to object by cassation against judgments issued by the Appeal Court.
Counter claim
It is a lawsuit filed by the Defendant to obtain a judgment in his favor and thus the Defendant in the counterclaim shall turn relatively to be Plaintiff and the Plaintiff turns to be a Defendant.
Case pleading
It is written request submitted by the Plaintiff to the competent court, including the details of the litigants and the subject of the dispute, along with its legal grounds and it constitutes a direct initiation of litigation procedures.
D
Defendant
The party against whom a lawsuit is brought.
Distraint
It is a legal procedure subsequent to the issuance of a final court judgment or through writ of execution in order to force the Debtor to pay the debt, subject matter of the judgment.
E
Execution Debtor
The person obligated to perform or execute the right established by writ of execution and is considered the debtor party in execution procedures.
Execution lawsuit
It is a legal procedure initiated by the holder of the writ of execution before the enforcement judge to forcibly obtain his right.
F
Family conciliation
Resort to family guidance and reformation to work on resolving the family dispute between children, parents, relatives or husband and wife by conciliation before resorting to the judiciary.
G
Garnishment order
It is a judicial order issued at the request of the creditor, through which a seizure is made on what the debtor owns in terms of money or movables held by a third party, in order to pay the debt.
J
Judgments execution
Open file to execute writs of execution such as judgments, judicial orders, checks, etc. by coercive force after failure to execute them by consent.
Joined litigant
It is a party that is added to the lawsuit after the judicial proceedings have initiated.
L
Lawsuits
The first degree of litigation and shall allow the litigants to register First Instance lawsuits which include five sub-types (Civil, Commercial, Labor, Personal Status and Rental).
Legal notice
Legal procedure taken by a person, establishment, or entity called (the notifying party), based on a law provision or contractual agreement, against another person called (the notified party) to inform or warn him of taking a certain legal action or file a judicial complaint against him in the event that what is included in the judicial notice is not implemented within the specified time period.
Limitation of heirs
A legal document issued by the court determining the legal heirs of the deceased and respective shares thereof in the estate.
Legal person
Group of persons and funds that have an independent self-entity aimed at achieving a specific purpose and have legal personality within the limits of such purpose.
N
Notary Public
Anyone authorized or licensed by the Department to authenticate and certify customary deeds, including the public notary, private notary public and government notary public licensed by the Department to practice the work of notary public in his department for the public dealing with it or employees thereof.
O
Order on petition
A summary procedure of litigation procedures in cases where the litigant has a right to obtain an order without the need to notify the other litigant. It is a written order issued by the court or the competent judicial authority within its powers to take certain legal action without the need to summon the parties to appear.
Offer and deposit
A procedure that allows debtor litigants, if they want to pay a debt, movables or documents, to present these things to the creditor through the court.
One-Day Court
One of the judicial features that is characterized by Ras Al Khaimah Emirate of and aims to speed up the adjudication of lawsuits and issues its judgment on the same day of registering the lawsuit if the right is clear and the court undertakes all procedures as soon as the plaintiff's request is received and if the lawsuit requires further research, it is referred to be registered before the competent court.
Objection for cassation
Objection against final judgment rendered by Appeal Court before Court of Cassation as such judgment violated the law.
P
Petition for reconsideration
Request petition against the rendered judgment and reconsider the same in specific cases in accordance with the law.
Proof of marriage
Attest declaration of marriage bond continuation between husband and wife till date of declaration.
Plaintiff
The party that initiates a lawsuit and entitled to amend requests thereof and correct its claim after it has been filed.
Process Server
Court officer responsible for delivering legal notices.
Precautionary attachment
It is a temporary legal procedure on the Debtor's funds issued by the court or the judge of summary matters to protect the Creditor's rights and guarantee the judgment that may be issued later in his favor and aims to freeze real estate or movable funds to prevent disposal thereof.
R
Rejoinder pleading
A pleading made to comment on a response submitted by the litigant in the lawsuit until the closing of pleadings.
Rogatory letters
It is a request issued from one judicial authority to another, within the State or abroad, to carry out a legal procedure related to a lawsuit existing before the authority issuing the rogatory letters and the judicial cooperation agreements shall organize such rogatory letters among countries.
S
Set for judgment
Lawsuit for which a date has been set to issue judgment by the court.
Summary Court
A court that temporarily adjudicates disputes that are feared to lapse with the passage of time in a way that does not affect the principal right. The judgment is limited to taking a temporary measure that is binding on the two parties with the aim of preserving the existing status or preserving the interests of the two disputing parties or preventing or avoiding damage in the event that the lawsuit is filed in the ordinary judiciary that takes longer period.
Service of case pleading
Any service or execution made by the bailiffs upon the request of the opponent, process- servers office or court writ.
Service
It is notifying a party of the date of a hearing or legal procedure.
Stay of execution
It is a judicial decision to suspend or postpone executing writ of execution.
Succession certificate
A legal document issued by a judge to determine the heirs of the deceased and the share of each in the estate.
W
Will ratification
Legal procedure to verify the authenticity of the will and administration of the estate.
Writ of execution
It is a legal document that proves a right that is enforceable and forcibly executable through the court without the need to file a new lawsuit to establish the right.
Writ of attachment
A written judicial or administrative order for attachment aims to prevent the owner of the property, movable or funds from disposing thereof temporarily, in order to protect the rights of others or ensure executing a judicial ruling or administrative decision.
Writ of execution service
It is a notification to a party on existence of writ of execution against him before starting to execute the same forcibly.