Expat lawyers can appear in appeals court

MUSCAT: Non-Omani lawyers will be able to continue to appear before appeals courts and the Supreme Court until December 31, 2020, since there are not enough Omani lawyers to handle the demands for legal representation.

Minister of Justice Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al Khalili issued a ministerial decision 261/2016, amending ministerial decision 1020/2009, stating that “Non- Omani lawyers are permitted to appear before the court of appeals and the Supreme court until December 31, 2020.” The decision is effective as of January 1, 2017.

Ahmed Adali, a prominent Egyptian legal practitioner in Oman, said that the decision was taken in view of the low number of Omani lawyers in the Sultanate.

“The number of practicing Omani lawyers is insufficient to handle the cases and follow-ups to defend the rights of Omani citizens,” said Adali.

“Therefore, in response to the directives issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in protecting Omani citizens and their rights in the first degree, expatriate lawyers can appear in the court of appeals and Supreme Court until there are enough Omani lawyers,” he explained.

According to the data issued by the Ministry of Justice, there were only 284 Omani lawyers, compared with 441 expat lawyers, as of 2015, registered in the records of the lawyer affairs department at the ministry to practice in the appeals courts and Supreme Court.

There were only 197 Omani appeals court lawyers at the end of 2015, compared with 183 expat lawyers.