So, you're on holiday in the UAE, seeing the sights; the beach, Burj Khalifah, your plush hotel cafe...and, naturally, you want to take some selfies. Fill your friends on Facebook and Instagram with envy, right? Unfortunately, even this has become a risky issue in the UAE. You're going to need to take that selfie in a secluded corner of the cafe, or visit Jumeirah Beach at about 5 o'clock in the morning if you want a selfie that includes the sea and sand;because it is a criminal offence in the UAE if your selfie even accidentally contains the image of a stranger in the background. "You could find yourself taking a mugshot for taking a selfie." In the UAE, people meandering about in public

We have received five enquiries this year from people who have been requested to send funds to a lawyer because their partner has been arrested in Dubai. The fraud usually involves a few planned stages: 1. An intimate but remote relationship is established with the potential victim, men often posting as US Military personnel. We have seen both men and women being targeted; 2. There is a promise of marriage or intention to live together and a serious commitment made; 3. The conman is then fictitiously arrested, usually en route to see the victim (actually, they are still in a warehouse office, somewhere in the world, working their part in the next scam); 4. The victim receives a message

Prison sentences for bounced cheques have been a hot topic in the UAE media over the years. The practice of holding cheques as security is akin to holding a prison sentence over someone´s head. David Haye, former heavyweight champion of the world, will fight next week in London after his bounced cheque related arrest in the UAE was resolved.... Landlords have requested post dated cheques for 12 months rent (or more) and so an unexpected loss of employment has lead to prison terms. In spite of the sanctions, most people need to write cheques for funds that they anticipate to have in their account in order to function normally in the UAE. It is practically impossible to avoid writing securi

We are contacted relentlessly by people who are concerned that they may be listed on the gulf region´s version of Interpol, GCCPol, headed up in Abu Dhabi. GCCPol is used by authorities in the gulf to locate parties who are wanted within the gulf region. A lot of wanted persons have pending cases covering crimes such as fraud, breach of trust, embezzlement, bounced cheques and commonly, bank debts and mortgage defaults. Most queries that we receive arise from expatriates who have lived and worked in the UAE and have needed to leave the country in order to avoid being imprisoned for debts or other financial crimes. Most have good intentions and wish to repay their debts or negotiate settlem

One of the main ways a government can prove its commitment to Human Rights and the Rule of Law, is by providing independent avenues for redress of grievances; even if that simply means keeping informational channels open for people to find resources for support. It has come to our attention that the government of the United Arab Emirates has blocked access to the Detained in Dubai website within the country, and has even blocked the website of my private legal practice. This is a severely reactionary measure, and indicates a very negative direction for the UAE. No government, no legal process, is without flaws. Irregularities, mistakes, and violations can occur under any system. And as l

It has recently come to light that Interpol has begun to receive funding from major corporations. Industries from tobacco to pharmaceuticals have made agreements with the international police organisation over the past 5 years, boosting Interpol's budget, but calling into question the nature of these agreements, and indeed, the integrity of Interpol itself; particularly in regards to cases of financial crimes, corruption, intellectual property infringement, and the like. We have seen a marked increase in the use of Interpol as a mechanism for pursuing private matters between lenders and allegedly defaulting clients, as well as cases involving patent and trademark disputes. When Interpol is r