Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said that its case adjudication rate in 2020 was 105 per cent, compared to 98 per cent in 2019, representing a 7 per cent increase.
Abdullah Saif Zahran, Director of the Strategic Planning and Institutional Development Department at the ADJD, said the total number of cases filed last year with the first instance courts was 92,852 cases, while the appellate courts registered 14,491 cases, and the cassation courts 4,212 cases.
According to the official, the case adjudication rate in the courts of first instance increased by 6 per cent to 105 per cent in 2020 from 99 per cent in 2019, while the adjudication of appeals cases increased during the same period to 112 per cent from 96 per cent, an increase of 16 per cent. Meanwhile, the rate in cassation cases decreased from 95 per cent to 85 per cent.
Faster completion rate
With regard to cases completed in less than 90 days, Zahran said the percentage increased to 85 per cent compared to 75 per cent in 2019. Completed labour cases increased from 90 per cent to 96 per cent during the same period, while completed commercial cases increased from 80 per cent to 89 per cent.
He said the number of cases completed in the courts of first instance reached 95 per cent during the past year compared to about 76 per cent in 2019, and the cases completed in the courts of appeal increased from 76 per cent to 88 per cent during the same period. In addition, the percentage of cases in the courts of cassation decreased from 97 per cent to 95 per cent.
Zahran reviewed the achievements of the various courts of the Judicial Department during the pandemic period from March to December, saying the number of hearings held remotely reached 103,899, while the number of cases registered remotely during the same period reached 61,979, and 80,303 cases were handled remotely.
Achievements of the Public Prosecution
“During the pandemic period, 160,428 applications were completed remotely,” said Hazza Abdullah Al Harithi, head of the risk and business sustainability at the ADJD. Al Harithi said the Public Prosecution has examined 13,839 penal orders, and received 51,352 cases, and the number of referral orders reached 23,325, while the number of remote investigations implemented by the Public Prosecution reached 11,512, as well as 54,634 execution procedures, and 52,525 executed electronic requests.
He also reviewed the achievements of the judicial services provided by the Ministry of Justice during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the total number of completed authentication transactions reached 39,180, the 90,360 public notary transactions, 5,082 marriage contracts, and 1,725 non-Muslim wills.
Family court
Awad Mohammad Al Hamiri, head of Planning and Performance at the ADJD, reviewed the most prominent projects that were accomplished during the past year, including the creation of a family. “The Baniyas Court was also built on an area of 7,725 square metres at a cost of approximately Dh54 million, and a smart legal platform was created that uses artificial intelligence techniques to provide advanced and multiple services. Among the most prominent achievements were the remote investigation platforms in the correctional and penal facilities and the various police stations, and the provision of cameras covering a 360-degree angle to ensure the correctness and safety of the procedures at penal and correctional institutions and police stations via a closed television circuit.”
Al Hamiri also said that there are a number of ongoing projects — digital authentication, simulation via visual communication, the establishment of a family and child court, the digital custody service, the Abu Dhabi Centre for Legal and Community Awareness, and the launch of the smart notary service.
