ADGM Courts support ADGM with a fully independent common law framework to adjudicate civil and commercial disputes.

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is the international financial centre located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is the first jurisdiction in the Middle East to directly apply English Common Law (including the rules and principles of equity), similarly to the approach adopted by Singapore and Hong Kong.

ADGM's Board of Directors elected to take this approach in order to achieve a coherent, recognised, transparent and accepted legal framework and judicial system. The foundation of the civil and commercial law in ADGM is provided by the Application of English Law Regulations 2015, a wide-ranging set of well-established English statutes on relevant civil and commercial matters, and ADGM’s own enactments to support its common law jurisdiction.

The Regulations for ADGM Courts, called ADGM Courts, Civil Evidence, Judgments, Enforcement and Judicial Appointments Regulations 2015, are also drawn from Scots and Australian Federal law. They have been tailored specifically to meet the requirements of ADGM Courts and are complemented by Court Procedure Rules that are modelled on the UK Civil Procedure Rules with appropriate amendments.

See also the ADGM Court of First Instance.