Malicious Reporting in the UAE: How to Claim Compensation?

A malicious report in the UAE, also called a false report, gives the person wrongly accused a right to compensation for every material and moral harm it caused. The claim can follow two routes: a request for compensation before the same criminal court that hears the accusation, or an independent civil claim against the person who filed the report. The most important rule, and the one most people overlook, is that not every report that ended with closure or acquittal is malicious: it must be shown that the reporter knew what he reported was false or intended to harm you.

This article explains when a report is considered malicious under UAE law, how to prove it, which documents you need, how the court assesses compensation, what the penalty for a false report is, and when the claim lapses with time. It also covers the other side: the person accused of filing a false report and the defences available to him.

A malicious report is part of a wider process explained in our main guide Criminal Cases in the UAE, and it connects to compensation, covered in Compensation Cases in the UAE.

What is a malicious or false report under UAE law?

A false report is when a person informs the police, the Public Prosecution or an administrative authority of an incident he knows never happened, or attributes to a specific person an act that warrants punishment while knowing that person is innocent. The report becomes malicious when its purpose is to cause harm: to put pressure in a money dispute, to take revenge in a work or family disagreement, or to block the other party's travel or residence.

The Crimes and Penalties Law punishes a false report even if no criminal or disciplinary case is ever brought because of it, and also punishes anyone who fabricates material evidence against a person or causes legal proceedings to be taken against someone he knows to be innocent. The offence is complete with the report itself, once it is combined with knowledge of its falsity and bad faith.

Does closure of the report or an acquittal mean the report was malicious?

This is the most common mistake made by people seeking compensation. The Public Prosecution closing a report, or a court acquitting the accused, does not on its own prove that the report was false. The prosecution may close a report because the matter is a civil dispute rather than a crime, or because the evidence is insufficient, and a court may acquit because of doubt in the evidence. In these cases the reporter may have honestly believed what he said and exercised his legitimate right to complain.

That is why, in any compensation file, we start by reading the closure decision or the reasons for the acquittal: what did the prosecution or the court say about the incident itself? If the reasons point to a fabricated incident, contradictions by the reporter or a retraction, that is the strongest evidence in your claim. The reasons for closure are explained in detail in Converting a Criminal Report to a Civil Dispute: When Does the Prosecution Archive the Report?.

Two routes to claim compensation for a malicious report

UAE law gives a person harmed by a malicious report two routes, and the lawyer chooses between them according to the stage of the case and the strength of the evidence:

A counter-report for the offence of false reporting itself may be added to either route, where there is evidence that the reporter knew what he reported was untrue, so that the criminal court decides the penalty and the compensation together.

What must you prove to obtain compensation?

Under the Civil Transactions Law, a person who exercises his right lawfully is not liable for the harm that results, and complaining to the police is in principle a legitimate right. But liability arises for anyone who exercises a right unlawfully, and the exercise of a right is unlawful in four cases:

• Where there is an intention to cause harm, meaning the aim of the report was to damage you.

• Where the interest sought by the report is contrary to the law, public order or morals, such as putting pressure on you to extract money that is not owed.

• Where the interest sought is out of proportion to the harm you suffered.

• Where the exercise of the right goes beyond what is customary and usual.

In practice you need three elements: the reporter's fault, through his knowledge of the falsity or his abuse of the complaint; actual harm to you; and a direct link between the report and the harm. Among the strongest evidence are messages in which the reporter threatens to report you unless you pay, his retraction of his statements, witnesses who show he knew the truth, or a report filed immediately after a money dispute.

How much compensation for a malicious report, and how does the court assess it?

The law does not set a fixed amount. Compensation is assessed according to the loss you suffered and the gain you were deprived of, provided they are the natural result of the report. It covers two types of harm:

• Material harm: defence costs, the wages or income you lost because of detention or a travel ban, deals or contracts you lost, and any expenses you incurred because of the report.

• Moral harm: the Civil Transactions Law expressly provides that moral harm includes an attack on a person's freedom, honour, dignity, reputation, social standing or financial standing, which are precisely the harms a malicious report causes.

The court assesses the amount according to the circumstances of each case: the length of any detention, the nature of the charge and how far it damaged your reputation, its effect on your work and residence, and how many people learned of it. The better you document the harm, the better your chance of compensation that reflects what you actually suffered.

What is the penalty for a false report in the UAE?

The Crimes and Penalties Law distinguishes between two situations:

• Anyone who informs the judicial or administrative authorities of incidents or dangers that do not exist, or of an offence he knows was not committed: imprisonment of up to six months and a fine, or either of them.

• Anyone who falsely and in bad faith reports a person for an act that warrants criminal or administrative punishment, fabricates evidence against him, or causes legal proceedings against a person he knows to be innocent: imprisonment and a fine, or either of them.

The penalty is heavier if the fabricated offence is a felony, in which case it becomes imprisonment and a fine together, and if the false accusation leads to an innocent person being sentenced for a felony, the false accuser receives the same penalty that was imposed.

Accused of filing a false report: what are the defences?

If you are the one who filed the report and are then charged with false reporting, the offence exists only if you knew the incident was false and acted in bad faith. The main defences are:

• Good faith: you reported facts you believed to be true at the time, even if you were later shown to be wrong.

• A real basis for the report: facts that were wholly or partly true, even if they were not enough for a conviction.

• That the closure or acquittal was for insufficient evidence, not because the incident was proved false.

• That the report was the exercise of a legitimate right to complain in order to protect money or a right, without intent to harm.

That is why, before filing any report, we advise you to put its facts and documents before a lawyer so you can be sure it rests on a basis that protects you from this charge. If you are the person reported against, start with What to Do If a Complaint Is Filed Against You at Dubai Police?.

Documents needed for a compensation claim for a false report

• A copy of the report and the police record, and the reporter's statements in the investigation.

• The prosecution's closure decision or the acquittal judgment, with a certificate that it has become final where possible.

• Evidence that the incident was false or of bad faith: messages, recordings, witnesses and documents showing the truth.

• Evidence of material harm: invoices, receipts, a termination letter, and proof that a contract or deal was cancelled.

• Evidence of moral harm: proof that the accusation spread among your colleagues, clients or on social media, and any medical report on its psychological effect.

Watch the deadline: a claim for compensation for a harmful act will not be heard after three years from the day you learned of the harm and of the person responsible, and in any event not after fifteen years from the day the act occurred. How these periods are calculated is explained in Statute of Limitations in the UAE: When Do You Lose Your Right to Claim?.

Compensation for a malicious report before the Dubai courts

In Dubai, compensation is requested before the criminal court while the accusation is heard, or a civil claim is filed before the competent court of first instance according to the value claimed. Before filing any claim, a criminal lawyer in Dubai reviews the entire file of the original case, because the reasons for closure or acquittal are what determine the strength of the compensation claim. If you are not sure whether there is a report or case against you at all, start with How Do I Know If I Have a Case or Report in the UAE?.

Periods and figures that matter to you

Practical tips before claiming compensation

Legal references

• Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2022 issuing the Criminal Procedure Law

• Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 issuing the Crimes and Penalties Law, as amended

• Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 issuing the Civil Transactions Law

• Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 issuing the Civil Procedure Law, as amended

Frequently asked questions about malicious reports and compensation