• Discusses the change in language following the amendment to Article 257 of the Criminal Code

• Refers to the term “duty of impartiality and integrity” and its relevance to the practice of arbitration in the UAE

• Considers the potential impact of this modification to the Criminal Code

The UAE has recently issued Federal Decree No. 7/2016, which amends Federal Law No. 3/1987, as amended (the “ Criminal Code ”).

Federal Decree No. 7/2016 has amended 130 Articles, and added 23 Articles to the Criminal Code. It was issued on 18 September 2016, published in the Federal Gazette on 29 September 2016 and came into effect on 29 October 2016.

A notable amendment that we would like to address is Article 257, which has been debated extensively in relation to its new reference to arbitrators.

The new Article 257 of the Criminal Code states: