UAE | General

Abu Dhabi conference explores sharia law as a legal system

Three major issues including Sharia law as a judicial system are being discussed in a two-day conference that will gather presidents and delegations of Supreme Courts worldwide.

  • By Marten Youssef, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 14:55 March 23, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Dr Abdul Wahab Abdul, President of the Supreme Court of the UAE (left); Ellen Gracie North fleet, Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil and President of the National Judicial Council, and Robert H Henry, Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit at a two-day conference.
  • Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Three major issues including Sharia law as a judicial system are being discussed in a two-day conference that will gather presidents and delegations of Supreme Courts worldwide.

In the first international conference of its kind, delegations from 32 countries are discussing the relationship between federal and local courts, the challenges to judicial systems in the 21st century and the application of Sharia law as a legal system.

"We welcome you to the land of peace, love and order. I am proud to say that while other conferences of this nature have happened before, this is most certainly the first of its kind in the Arab and Islamic world," President of the Supreme Court of the UAE Dr Abdul Wahab Abdul, said in his opening remarks.

Delegates spent Sunday explaining their countries' judicial systems and discussing with other delegates the justice process. "The conference is being held as an opportunity to create dialogue among nations with different legal systems," Abdul said. Several justice systems are presented at the conference including common law, civil law, Latin and Anglo-Saxon law. Although very different from one another, the diverse representation in judicial systems is meant to create a culture of understanding among the attendees.

Among the many representatives, the French delegation praised the conference as a chance to open up communication among different nations. "This is a great opportunity to see for ourselves how the judicial systems work in other countries," said Catherine Bolteau, a member of the delegation.

Dialogue

The delegates arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday and were shown around the capital. They visited the Grand Mosque and the Art of Islam exhibition at Emirates Palace.

The issue of Sharia law is expected to create the most dialogue as many of the nations presented have a large number of Muslims. France for example, has approximately six million Muslims. Belgium's Muslims make up four per cent of the population and there are well over seven million Muslims living in the United States.

Aside from Sharia law, the delegates will spend today discussing the new challenges to the justice system.

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