UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi launched the “Guiding Principles for the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Law Firms” at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi on 29 September, according to a press release published by Zawya. Issued on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the initiative sets out ten principles for law firms operating in the UAE. Its central instruction is that AI-generated work must receive human review, verification and oversight, while lawyers retain responsibility for its use.
Key points
- The initiative offers law firms in the UAE ten principles for adopting and using AI systems.
- Al Nuaimi says AI outputs must undergo careful human review, verification and oversight.
- Lawyers remain responsible for the accuracy and suitability of those outputs and for assessing their effect on clients and stakeholders.
- The initiative is intended as an incentive and practical reference for firms, according to the press release.
Lawyers retain responsibility for AI outputs
Al Nuaimi placed the duty on the lawyer rather than the system producing the work. In remarks carried in the press release, he said AI outputs must always be checked by people before they are relied upon in legal practice. Lawyers, he said, must establish whether an output is accurate and suitable for its purpose. They must also assess how its use could affect the rights and interests of clients and other stakeholders. The instruction reaches beyond checking whether generated text reads convincingly: it asks the professional using it to consider its consequences for the people involved.
“Professional responsibility cannot be delegated,” Al Nuaimi said. He described the intended combination as the capabilities of AI systems alongside lawyers’ professional judgement. His account of the initiative also includes safeguarding confidentiality and protecting the rights of all parties. Those concerns sit with the duties of review and verification in the approach he set out, rather than being presented as reasons for law firms to avoid AI altogether.
The press release describes the initiative as both an incentive and a practical reference for firms operating in the UAE as they expand their use of AI. It says the ten principles are intended to guide adoption and responsible use, support informed professional practice and maintain public confidence in legal services. Al Nuaimi’s remarks give the most direct account of what that means for a lawyer handling an AI-generated output: a person checks the work, decides whether it is fit to use and remains answerable for that decision.
Abu Dhabi Declaration frames the initiative
The launch took place during the UN Crime Congress at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. Al Nuaimi is also president of the congress, giving him a role in the international gathering as well as the UAE justice portfolio. Maryam Bint Ahmed Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet, attended the launch alongside senior officials and legal professionals. The press release places the principles within the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, particularly its emphasis on responsible AI use.
Al Nuaimi said the initiative sought to encourage international best practice in legal work with AI. He also described it as aligned with relevant global principles and standards and with UAE national regulatory frameworks governing AI use. Those are his stated aims for the initiative. For firms, the practical direction in his remarks remains domestic and professional: lawyers using AI are expected to examine its output themselves and judge its suitability for the matter and people concerned.
The press release says the principles are designed to help law firms benefit from AI while sustaining trust in legal services. Al Nuaimi said the ministry wanted the technology’s capabilities to be used with lawyers’ judgement to improve the accuracy and quality of legal work, while safeguarding confidentiality and the rights of all parties.
