UAE Constitutional and Federal Legal Framework
Structure of the Federation
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates created under the Federal Constitution. Candidates must know the allocation of competences: the Constitution lists matters of exclusive federal competence (foreign affairs, defence, nationality, currency, federal judiciary), matters where emirates may legislate in the absence of federal law, and residual emirate powers. Article 121-type provisions and the principle that emirate legislation yields to federal legislation in shared areas are frequently tested.
Sources and Hierarchy of Law
Understand the hierarchy: Constitution, federal laws and decrees, emirate laws, ministerial decisions, then custom and Shari'a as a residual source where the Civil Transactions Law is silent. The Civil Transactions Law expressly directs recourse to Shari'a where no statutory provision exists.
Institutions
The Supreme Council of the Union, the President, the Federal Supreme Court (which hears constitutional challenges and jurisdictional disputes between federal and emirate authorities), the Federal National Council (consultative), and the Council of Ministers. Know which body performs which function.
Traps
Questions often confuse emirate and federal competence, assume the Federal National Council legislates (it does not - it reviews and advises), or treat the Constitution as directly displacing all emirate law. Another trap: assuming the Federal Supreme Court is an appellate court for all cases; it is not a general court of cassation.
Rule of thumb
When a conflict arises, ask first whether the subject is exclusive federal, shared, or residual emirate. Only in the shared category does the "federal law prevails" rule do real work.