Does Reconsideration Stop Execution of a Judgment in the UAE?

Legal Review: Written and reviewed by a specialized legal team.
Last Updated: August 18, 2026.
Category: UAE Criminal Law.

When a request for reconsideration is submitted against a final criminal judgment, an important question arises: Does reconsideration stop execution in the UAE? The Criminal Procedure Law sets out the general rule on this question, and the exception in which execution of the judgment is suspended.

Under Article 262 of the UAE Criminal Procedure Law, the general rule is that a request for reconsideration does not suspend execution of the criminal judgment.

An exception is made for a judgment imposing the death penalty, whose execution is suspended once a request for reconsideration is submitted, and it remains suspended until the request is decided.

As for other criminal judgments, execution does not stop merely because the request is submitted; rather, the court may order a stay of execution in its decision accepting the reconsideration request, if it sees fit.

Accordingly, submitting a reconsideration request alone does not mean that execution of the judgment stops; the matter differs according to the type of judgment and the court’s decision on accepting the request.

As for the cases of submitting a petition for reconsideration in criminal offenses, Article 262 of the UAE Criminal Procedure Law provides that:

Submitting a petition for reconsideration does not suspend execution of the judgment, unless the judgment is a death sentence, in which case the judgment must be suspended until the petition for reconsideration is decided.

As for other judgments, the matter is discretionary and left to the court’s assessment: it may either order a stay of execution when it issues its decision accepting the reconsideration request, or not order a stay of execution.

Frequently Asked Questions About Reconsideration and Stay of Execution

At the end of our article on whether a petition for reconsideration stops execution in the UAE, it is clear that the rule for criminal judgments is that execution continues despite the submission of a reconsideration request, with an exception for a death sentence, and that the court may order a stay of execution in other cases when it accepts the reconsideration request. Anyone facing execution should therefore act quickly and follow the court’s decision on the request closely.

You may also be interested in reading about the grounds for challenging a judgment by petition for reconsideration in the UAE and its procedures, and in learning the conditions and procedures of a petition for reconsideration before the Court of Appeal in the UAE, objecting to the rejection of a petition for reconsideration in the UAE, and getting to know the best lawyer for a petition for reconsideration in judgments in the UAE.

For the best consultation on the question “Does reconsideration stop execution?” from a criminal lawyer in the UAE, contact us by clicking the WhatsApp button at the bottom of the screen.

الدكتور المحامي محمد الرملاوي