Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Supreme Federal Court

The Supreme Federal Court shall be considered an independent judicial body, namely the supreme judicial body in the Federation, located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and it may hold its sessions as an exception when necessary, in any of the Emirates of the State.

The Supreme Federal Court shall be composed of a chief justice and four judges. It is allowed to appoint alternate judges, provided that no more than two of those judges shall attend the department of the constitutional articles.

1. The Supreme Federal Court shall have a department for the constitutional articles, departments for considering other articles stipulated herein, or any other law. The department shall be presided over by the chief justice and the most senior judges. The other departments shall be presided over by any of the original or alternate judges of the Court.

2. Judgments shall be issued by a department formed of five judges, provided that the number of alternates shall not exceed two judges, in the issues stipulated in the first six items of Article (4) herein. Excluding from that, judgments shall be issued by a department formed of three judges, and by the majority in both actions.

3. The formation of the Appellate Body Chamber to consider challenges to the accountability of the ministers and senior officials of the Federation shall be presided over by the chief justice of the Court, and the membership of (6) of the Court judges who did not participate in issuing the contested judgment, and the judgment issued by the Court in this Appellate Body shall be final.

The Supreme Federal Court shall have the jurisdiction to adjudicate the following matters: