Abu Dhabi courts add Spanish as another language in claims form

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has extended the scope of use of interactive bilingual claim forms for the cases brought before the courts, with the addition of Spanish.

This comes in addition to Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Russian and Chinese languages, bringing the total number of languages used in bilingual claim forms to seven, thus allowing foreign litigants to easily learn about court procedures in their own language and to familiarise themselves with the rights and duties stipulated by law.

Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said the expansion in the use of bilingual claim forms comes in line with the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Judicial Department, to develop an innovative judicial system that provides world-class services and plays an active role in enhancing the competitive position of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as an attractive investment environment and a destination for talents and competencies from all over the world.

Interactive forms

The interactive forms are available in Arabic in addition to one of the approved languages, and court users will be able to easily choose the language and get acquainted with the specific legal procedures for litigation before Abu Dhabi courts, Al Abri added. He said these forms simplify the registration procedures through an interactive claim form that includes a sensitisation section for litigants, ensuring access to legal texts that are relevant to their case.

The claims forms also have infographics, in addition to the use of simple terminology and the presentation of a list of common claims before the courts. The form may be filled up by individuals through the website of the ADJD without the need to seek the assistance of specialists.