From the Editors: One-day UAE courts a pragmatic step

ONE-DAY COURTS IN UAE TO DEAL WITH MINOR OFFENCES, A PRAGMATIC STEP: The establishment of one-day misdemeanor courts by the UAE Federal Judiciary to settle cases related to minor offences is indeed a pragmatic step that will go a long way in reducing the backlog of cases in UAE courts. The new judicial provision will allow courts in the UAE hear as many as 50 cases related to minor offences of misdemeanor in a single day at any one court. This will not only help the courts dispense with justice in case of minor offences faster, but will also allow those accused of such offences face the legal consequences without having to wait for long. While streamlining the legal system in the country, this will undoubtedly further strengthen people’s confidence in the rule of law. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

32 YEARS ON, GHOST OF LOCKERBIE REFUSES TO DIE: On Monday, the US Justice Department said it had charged a suspect in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people and has been the subject of extremely long investigation. US Attorney General William Barr said that the accused, Abu Agila Mas’ud, helped make the bomb for Libyan intelligence service of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Today, Mas’ud remains in Libyan custody and it is unclear if he will be handed over to the US for trial, though Barr said he was hopeful of bringing Mas’ud to America for the trial. Thirty two years later, the ghost of Lockerbie refuses to die. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]

A QUIET, BUT SAFE, CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR: Christmas around the world is traditionally a time to spend with the family. But things look different this year for millions who were hoping to fly back home or even go on a vacation with the family. A mutant coronavirus strain coupled with fresh clusters of the virus have meant that travel will be hit. Add to this the concern that the new strain could spread rapidly and we have a potent mix of worry, fear and practical issues that threaten to make this Christmas a muted one. But then, a quiet and safe festive season is better than an unsafe one with revelry. [COMMENT BY: Alex Abraham, Senior Associate Editor]

CHELSEA COACH LAMPARD BACKS WERNER TO COME GOOD: It’s the week Premiership clubs dread the most because of the crowded fixture, but Chelsea bounced back from two successive league defeats and closed in on the top four with a 3-0 win over West Ham United on Monday night. Timo Werner, their new signing, continued his goal-drought for eight matches now but coach Frank Lampard backed him to the hilt. ‘’When one (goal) goes in, it will be a run for him,’’ Lampard told the BBC as the fans continue to wait and watch. [COMMENT BY: Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor]

ABU DHABI-BACKED SAUDI ARABIAN FILM HEADS TO THE OSCARS: Arab cinema has come a long way from the 1900s, when all that existed was a fledgling film industry that was born in Egypt, supported by the emergence of movie theatres that French company Pathé left behind in 1906 in Cairo as their legacy. Today, the Abu Dhabi-backed Saudi Arabian venture ‘Scales’ is headed west as the latter’s national submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards, following a multi-award-winning global festival season and a successful run in cinemas. Written and directed by Shahad Ameed, ‘Scales’ explores the changing role of women in society through the allegorical, magical-realist tale of Hayat, a young girl who refuses to be sacrificed to mysterious sea creatures by her village. ‘Scales’ isn’t alone in its journey west, with six other powerful films from the Middle East and North Africa entering the Oscars race as hopefuls. Whether or not ‘Scales’ makes the cut to the final five, the black and white feature is testament to the exponential growth that Arab cinema has witnessed with each passing decade. And the only way is up from here. [COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]