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15 October 2026: The General Secretariat of the Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai (SLC) organised an awareness workshop entitled “Linguistic Accuracy in Legal Drafting”, delivered by Mr, Salem Al Ahmad, Linguistic Advisor at the SLC. The workshop brought together a number of legal professionals from the Government of Dubai and aimed to enhance linguistic awareness in support of accurate and sound legal drafting, as well as to minimise errors that may affect the clarity of legal texts and their intended meanings.
Dr. Ahmad Saeed bin Meshar Al Muhairi, SLC Secretary General, emphasised that linguistic accuracy in legal texts constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of sound legislative drafting and is essential for ensuring the clarity, coherence, and consistency of legal provisions. He noted that linguistic precision is a key factor in ensuring that legislative provisions effectively achieve their intended objectives, while reducing the likelihood of ambiguity in interpretation.
For his part, Salem Al Ahmad, Linguistic Advisor, stated, “Linguistic accuracy in legal drafting is an essential element in developing clear and precise legislative texts. The careful selection of terminology, the correctness of linguistic structures, and the precise use of language all contribute to conveying the intended meaning of legislative provisions in a disciplined and accurate manner, while reducing the potential for ambiguity in the interpretation of legal texts.”
The workshop addressed several key themes, including legal language and its characteristics, the precision of legal terminology, common linguistic errors, and the role of punctuation in shaping meaning. It also featured practical exercises involving legal texts.
The organisation of the “Linguistic Accuracy in Legal Drafting” workshop forms part of the ongoing initiatives of the SLC to enhance the knowledge base and legislative culture of legal practitioners within the Government of Dubai and to strengthen their linguistic capabilities. These efforts are driven by the close relationship between the clarity of legislative texts, the ease of their interpretation, and the soundness of their application.