<strong>Seven years ago, I was involved in a criminal case and the criminal court sentenced me to deportation. I now wish to return to the UAE. How long is the deportation order valid?</strong> A deportation order issued by the criminal court is permanent. This means it is a lifetime ban. <strong>I am an Asian expatriate. I came as a visitor to the UAE to see one of my former colleagues. During my visit I had an argument with him and he insulted me publicly. I filed a criminal case against him and travelled back to my home country. My friend then apologised to me and asked for my forgiveness, which I gave to him. Can I drop the case and waive my right?</strong> As per Article no. 10 of UAE criminal procedure law, you have the right to drop the case at any stage: if it is still under police investigation, has been transferred to the prosecution or if it is in the criminal court. <strong>One of my business partners gave me a cheque for Dh2 million as payment for a personal loan I had previously given him. The cheque bounced due to insufficient funds. I know if I file a criminal case against him, he can potentially face a prison sentence and a fine but I want him to be deported instead. Can I file it as a fraud case?</strong> Unfortunately, cheque cases cannot be filed as fraud cases as indicated in petition no. 175 of 2003 by the Supreme Court. A bounced check is not considered as fraud. <em>If you have a question for our lawyer, please email it to media@professionallawyer.me</em><em> with the subject line "Know the law".</em>