Advocacy: The Fourth Pillar of Justice

When a lawyer is denied their professional rights, it is a sign that one of the pillars of justice has collapsed, and a core foundation of the system has been compromised. The justice system in the United Arab Emirates is not built on a trinity of security, law, and judiciary alone, but rather on a quartet: security, law, judiciary, and advocacy.

Because advocacy is the fourth pillar of justice, the legislator has recognized it as a free and independent profession that partners with the judiciary in fulfilling the mission of justice, upholding the rule of law, and guaranteeing the right to legal defense and the protection of rights and freedoms. Yet this essential pillar is now facing existential challenges. The profession of law has become vulnerable to encroachment by unqualified individuals and unauthorized actors.

Law firms and legal consultancies operating in free zones are a clear example. Not only are these firms exempt from the regulations imposed by the Law on Regulating the Legal Profession, but they also often charge exorbitant fees for their services. Worse still, some of them are now extending their activities beyond their designated jurisdictions, entering the local courts through partnerships or arrangements with licensed firms, and thereby competing with Emirati lawyers on their home turf.

Furthermore, legal consultancy offices in certain Emirates represent an additional threat. These offices provide services such as drafting contracts and agreements, preparing legal pleadings and applications, and issuing legal opinions—all for a fee—without being subject to the obligations imposed by the law regulating the legal profession.

The threat does not stop there. Administrative service centers are now permitted to offer services that fall within the core of legal support functions typically handled by law firms. This is the most alarming development. These service offices prepare and submit court documents and legal filings at fixed rates, as if they were selling cigarette packs or energy drinks.

The amendments introduced to the Executive Regulation of the Legal Profession Law, as well as the new Executive Regulation of the Civil Procedure Law, have further inflamed these concerns. The resulting discontent among lawyers—and the legal actions initiated in response—have only added to the pressures facing the profession.

As legal professionals, we will continue to defend the existence, integrity, and role of our profession in ensuring justice, affirming the rule of law, and safeguarding the right to defense. We will do so using all available legal mechanisms, including engaging with the constitutional institutions of the UAE—the Presidency, the Cabinet, the Federal National Council, and the judiciary—as well as through media platforms and social media channels.

No right is ever lost when there is someone who demands it.