Comparative Law and Natural Law in the UAE Constitutional Adjudication

Abstract Unlike other comparative jurisdictions that may remain silent on the possibility for supreme courts to use comparative law and natural law, the UAE legislator has allowed the Federal Supreme Court to invoke these two sources in its adjudication since the Court was established in 1973. This paper examines the legal framework that supports this permission, especially in light of Decree-Law Number 33-2022, which brought about a revision affecting it. The paper aims to define the space given to comparative law and natural law vis-à-vis UAE positive law. Furthermore, through an empirical approach, this paper examines the Federal Supreme Court case law to analyse the extent of its recourse to comparative law and/or to natural law in constitutional adjudication.