SOME COURT TRIALS WILL MOVE ONLINE

dubai — Physical courtroom trials could soon become a thing of the past for some legal cases, thanks to a smart leap being taken by the UAE judicial system.

Over the next few years, the UAE Ministry of Justice will work towards ensuring fair and swifter trials by providing electronic trials without courtrooms, video conferencing during court hearings and immediate translations in court proceedings via a screen.

In line with the UAE’s 2021 vision, the four new, technology-driven initiatives will significantly improve accessibility to justice here.

The plans include the implementation of an online dispute resolution service, a 100 per cent smart trial with no courtroom; and a unified translation centre connecting translators to secretaries of court and judges.

“Justice is no longer just giving out verdicts, but also searching for mediation and reconciliation. Its foundation doesn’t lie on the size of its facilities and judiciary procedures; it rather depends on its efficiency and accessibility to the public,” Minister of Justice Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi said.

The UAE currently ranks 25th internationally for the efficiency of its judicial system and 33rd on the Rule of Law Index. But what these new smart plans aim to do is help the UAE achieve 10th rank on the Judicial System Efficiency Index of the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com