Case decisions have started to be issued in the new Abu Dhabi bilingual personal status court for non-Muslims established due to Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021. The court will also have bilingual proceedings.

In a case on 21 July 2002, a claimant submitted a divorce application per Articles 6 and 7 of Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021.

The parties had been married in the Saint George Maronite Cathedral in Beirut. The claimant requested that the defendant would be required to pay fees and expenses.

The defendant filed a response requesting the application of the Lebanese law and dismissal of the case for nonterritorial jurisdiction. He also stated that his marriage relationship with the claimant was a religious, not a civil relationship.

The claimant’s attorney sustained the divorce request, application of Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021 and the defendant’s payment of fees and costs.

The defendant sustained application of the Lebanese Law and requested time to submit it. The court decided to adjourn the case to 19/07/2022 for the defendant to submit a duly attested copy of the law they sought to apply.

However, the duly attested law of their home country was not supplied only by some non-attested laws.

Decision

The court decided to close the case for judgment on 21/07/2022.

As the court had given the defendant a chance to submit the laws of his home country, but he did not, Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021 applied.

To effectuate a Divorce, it was sufficient that one of the spouses declared their willingness to separate before the Courtand to end the marital relationship, without the need to justify such a request, prove any damage suffered or blame the other party.

The conditions in Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021  had been fulfilled.

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