Dubai to host 24th Congress of International Union of Judicial Officers

Dubai: Dubai Courts is all set to host the 24th Congress of the International Union of Judicial Officers from November 22-25, 2021.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the congress will be held under the theme ‘Cyberjustice: New Opportunities for the Judicial Officer’.

Taresh Eid Al Mansouri, Director General of Dubai Courts, said: “Holding this congress reflects Dubai Courts’ objective of establishing cooperation with leading organisations in the sector to provide world-class judicial services.” The Congress will see the participation of member countries of the International Union of Judicial Officers, which has 93 full members and six observer members.

‘Creating a just and equitable environment’

“We are proud to host this international event in Dubai for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region,” Al Mansouri added. “The Congress will provide a platform for sharing new knowledge and advancements that have the potential to shape the future of the judicial sector. Our commitment to creating a just and equitable environment was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Courts continued to provide judicial services using advanced technologies. We want to ensure the community continues to have the confidence that their rights are fully protected and they will receive speedy and effective justice,” he said.

During the congress, Dubai Courts will be discussing several topics, including best practices in remote enforcement of judgements, accelerating the digitisation of the legal system (exploring the impact of serial databases, artificial intelligence, big data and smart contracts), and the characteristics of the new generation of judicial officers. Leading judges, officials and executives in the sector will share their experiences and expertise at the congress.

‘Success of remote litigation system’

“The UAE has shown the world how it can turn the challenges posed by the pandemic into a precious opportunity for development”, Al Mansouri noted. “We continued to be effective in delivering justice as well as ensuring the safety, security and happiness of the community regardless of the challenges we faced due to the pandemic. After the success of our remote litigation system there will no turning back. All stakeholders in the judicial system continue to use these smart tools. We have created mechanisms to review the speed of the system and customer satisfaction with it. The system can be used to complete transactions for judicial procedures, anytime and anywhere, saving considerable time and effort,” he added.

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and the Emirates Advocates Association will participate in the Congress. The organisation of the congress will support the vision of the country’s leadership to make the UAE the best country in the world by the 100th anniversary of the nation’s foundation in 2071.

Judicial transactions through digital channels

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Dubai Courts completed 588,018 judicial transactions through its digital channels in 2020. A total of 20,715 cases were processed for the criminal court and 14,945 cases for the trial court. The enforcement court processed 122,703 cases, while 11,394 appeal cases were processed. The total value of settlements in 2020 was Dh558.23 million with 1,755 amicable settlements. Furthermore, Dubai Courts’ development into one of the most efficient judicial systems in the world is borne out by the fact that the turnaround time for rulings for cases was reduced to 80 days in 2020 from 91 days in 2018.

Judicial workforce in Dubai includes 44 per cent women

Dubai Courts has a total of 191 judicial officers out of a total of 1,112 staff, with women representing 44 per cent of the total workforce. The department has been working to constantly develop the capabilities of its staff and adopt modern systems and technology to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to create one of the world’s best judicial systems in the emirate.