Penal order enables speedy disposal of bounced cheque cases in Dubai

Penal order enables speedy disposal of bounced cheque cases in Dubai

Dubai: Dubai's Penal Order had settled over 16, 000 cases out of court last year, while the majority of the cases were bounced cheques. In the latest report issued by Dubai Public Prosecution, 16, 289 cases were settled in Dubai last year by penal order and the majority of the cases were finalised, collecting Dh48. 1 million. The penal order allows minor misdemeanours and offences to be dealt with through fines rather than the court system; people with bounced cheques worth less than Dh200, 000 can be punished by prosecution without the case being referred to court, against a maximum fine of Dh10, 000. Dubai's Attorney General Essam Issa Al Humaidan said that the penal order initiative had a prominent result since it was rolled out in December 2017. "The penal order achieved best results, cut time and effort as well as significantly improved the efficiency of justice. Implementing the order allow courts to focus more on some serious offences," Al Humaidan said in a statement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a drop in cases settled of penal order last year compared to 2019, when Dubai Public Prosecution settled 29, 629 cases. "The number of penal order cases