Dubai The number of civil cases brought to Dubai courts last year dropped, according to a 2011 report, in another sign that the emirate is getting back to pre-crisis levels.
Key performance indicators of the Dubai Courts Department annual report showed a nine per cent decline in criminal cases and a 7.5 per cent decrease in civil cases between 2010 and 2011, said Dr Ahmad Bin Hazeem, DCD's director general.
'Going back to normality'
"The main reason behind this decline in the number of court cases handled between 2011 and 2010 proves that Dubai is simply going back to normality that we had before the global crisis. I cannot call it remarkable, but it is a normal indicator.
"This is a positive indicator as well. The increase of notary public commercial transactions and dealings to establish new companies is related to the decline and confirms the positive trends in the results of court cases," Dr Bin Hazeem told Gulf News yesterday.
The annual report included the KPIs related to the judicial works and administrative works. The indicators showed a drop in civil cases recorded in 2011, with a total of 55,331 cases compared to 59,833 cases in 2010, and also a decrease in criminal cases with 41,973 cases in 2011 dropping from 46,160 the year before.
"In contrast, the case clearance ratio in all three court stages [primary, appeal and cassation] has improved by 17 per cent year-over-year, with the clearance ratio of civil cases stable at the same level as 2010 and a 26 per cent increase in clearance ratio of criminal cases," Dr Bin Hazeem told a media gathering yesterday.
Close relationship
The 2011 annual report was part of a joint venture between DCD and Dubai International Financial Centre's (DIFC) Courts at the department's premises.
Chief Justice Michael Hwang of DIFC Courts said: "We are proud of our ongoing and close relationship with DCD. Working together, we can maintain a solid and assuring judicial environment for businesses in Dubai.
"We regularly share public platforms… more importantly we work closely behind the scenes to share best practices and ensure consistency. Our partnership with DCD ensures the highest standard of justice in Dubai and it is through understanding and valuing each other that we can maintain 100 per cent mutual track record."
The report further pointed to DCD's future direction including the activation of Dubai Courts Centre for Amicable Settlement of Disputes (economic section), the inauguration of the new Civil Court building in Al Garhoud — due to be launched by end- 2012 — and the expansion of the notary public online transactions to cover 60 e-services.
