A Sharjah court has found a practicing lawyer guilty of breach of trust after she misappropriated funds entrusted to her under a legal power of attorney and failed to deposit them into the designated judicial enforcement file, violating both legal and professional obligations.
The case arose from a complaint claiming the lawyer, acting as a legal representative, requested the transfer of sums due under a final ruling in a personal status case.
She assured the client that the funds would be deposited with the relevant authority and that she would complete the required legal procedures on his behalf. However, the funds were not fully deposited as promised.
As a result, enforcement proceedings against the client continued, and legal orders were issued in his name, revealing a serious breach of her duties as an agent. The issue came to light after the client sought advice from another law firm, which informed him of his rights and represented him in the criminal proceedings as a civil claimant.
During the trial, the Sharjah Court of First Instance (Misdemeanours Division) examined the case file, including official documents, financial reports, correspondence, and statements from all parties involved. The court concluded that the lawyer had failed to provide any evidence showing that the funds were deposited for their intended purpose.
The court highlighted that the funds had been given to the lawyer in her capacity as an authorized agent, creating a clear legal and professional duty to manage them in good faith and strictly according to the law. Her failure to do so constituted the crime of breach of trust.
The lawyer was sentenced to two months in prison and ordered to pay court fees. The court also referred the related civil claim for compensation to the competent civil court for separate assessment of damages.
