Understanding Search Modes

Lawis organizes its legal database into three distinct search modes. Selecting the right mode improves result accuracy and relevance. You can switch modes at any time from the search bar.

Law mode

Use Law mode to search primary legislation — the foundational legal texts enacted by legislative authorities.

This includes:

• Codes (Labor Code, Civil Code, Commercial Code, Penal Code)
• Laws and statutes passed by parliament or royal decree
• Constitutional texts and organic laws
• Federal laws (UAE Federal Law No. X)

When to use it: when you need to cite a specific legal provision, understand what the law says about a topic, or verify whether a particular act is still in force.

Regulation mode

Use Regulation mode to search secondary legislation — instruments issued by the executive branch to implement or supplement primary law.

This includes:

• Ministerial orders and resolutions
• Royal and presidential decrees
• Executive circulars and instructions
• Administrative regulations from specialized authorities (financial regulators, free zone authorities)

When to use it: when you're researching practical compliance requirements, licensing conditions, or procedural rules that flow from a broader law.

Case Law mode

Use Case Law (Jurisprudence) mode to search court decisions and legal precedents.

This includes:

• Supreme Court decisions
• Court of Appeals rulings
• Administrative tribunal decisions
• Commercial court judgments

When to use it: when you need to understand how courts have interpreted a legal provision, assess litigation risk, or support an argument with precedent.