India has signed a reciprocal agreement with UAE to enforce foreign civil decrees in a move aimed at deterring expats returning to the home country to escape penalties for committing major financial fraud.
A Ministry of Law and Justice government notification on 18 January said foreign civil decrees passed by courts in the UAE can now be executed in India in line with Section 44A of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The UAE courts that have been identified by India that are part of the reciprocal agreement include the Federal Supreme Court, Dubai Courts, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Courts of Abu Dhabi Global Markets and Courts of Dubai International Financial Centre.
Consul General Vipul of the Indian Consulate in Dubai told local news agency The National that the verdicts can be executed by a district court in India.
“If a crime was committed here and the default took place here and if the UAE court’s judgment gets automatically recognised in India, it will inhibit people from committing such things here,” he said.
He added that details on how this will be put into practice are yet to be revealed.