Types of Rehabilitation in UAE Law

Amanah Al-Shami

Legal Researcher at Zayed Al-Shamsi Law Firm and Legal Consultations 

“Justice as fairness”—with this renowned phrase, American philosopher John Rawls laid the foundation for a deeper understanding of justice, one that goes beyond mere retribution to focus on genuine reform. As Plato said, the greatest quality in a human being is the ability to recognize and correct their mistakes. And because justice is a double-edged sword, the concept of rehabilitation emerged as one of the noblest forms of fairness, acknowledging that human beings are prone to error and deserve renewed hope when they stumble.

Guided by the belief in human capacity for change and self-betterment, the UAE legislator introduced legal rehabilitation, allowing the Public Prosecution to issue a rehabilitation decision if the convicted person was sentenced for a non-disturbing misdemeanor and the sentence has been served or pardoned. If the conviction involved recidivism or the sentence lapsed by expiration of time, legal rehabilitation can be granted after six months have passed from the execution, pardon, or lapse of the sentence.

On the other hand, judicial rehabilitation is granted by a competent court for certain crimes, provided that a specific period has passed since the sentence was executed or a pardon was granted—six months for non-disturbing felonies, and one year for disturbing felonies or those involving dishonor or breach of trust.

Although the UAE legislator has taken a more lenient approach compared to other legal systems, longer waiting periods are required for state security-related felonies, with a period of two years before rehabilitation can be granted, in order to maintain public safety and stability.

In cases of recidivism or lapse of sentence by time, the waiting periods mentioned are doubled.

While the UAE law provides individuals with a chance for reform and reintegration, it also ensures that public safety is upheld. Thus, the convicted person must settle all financial obligations imposed by the court—whether to the state or individuals—unless those obligations have expired or the applicant proves an inability to pay.

If multiple convictions exist, rehabilitation is only granted once the legal conditions are met for each judgment, with the duration calculated based on the most recent conviction.

If the applicant was convicted jointly with others, they are only required to pay their personal share of the financial liability.

Additionally, the applicant must be residing within the UAE at the time of submitting the rehabilitation request.

قال تعالى: “إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَأَصْلَحُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ”

From all of the above, it is clear that the legislator aimed to strike a balance between firmness and mercy, based on the belief that every human is a work in progress. By granting a second chance to reintegrate into society and reclaim full legal rights, the law reaffirms faith in human dignity and the potential for redemption.

As Confucius once said:
“A mistake is an opportunity to begin again, with greater wisdom.”