GET JUSTICE THE SMART WAY IN THE UAE

> Video conference in court hearings

The initiative will permit courts to use video-conferencing while questioning victims, witnesses,

experts or translators without the need to attend in person, ensuring quick verdicts and reducing the need to adjourn cases for absence of a party

> Unified translation centre

To ensure fair trials and clear understanding of trial proceedings for non-Arabic speakers, the unified translation centre will link translators and experts to secretaries of courts through technology during trials. This will allow translators to provide their services without the need to move between courts. The centre

25TH

UAE’s ranking on Judicial System Efficiency Index

10TH

UAE’s projected ranking on the index by 2021 will also establish an electronic database of legal and judicial terms

> Online dispute resolutions

The initiative aims to provide secure, efficient and accessible electronic platform that enables people to access trial proceedings and retrieve rights without having courtrooms. The online platform will link defendants to lawyers, claimants and judges until a verdict is issued and implemented electronically

> Mediation and conciliation

This service will apply to minor criminal cases, particularly financial misdemeanours and family disputes. Prosecutors will be trained to implement the alternative dispute resolution

33RD

UAE’s ranking on Rule of Law Index for the World Justice Project

25TH

Projected ranking on the index by 2021

dubai — By 2021, the UAE judicial system will see a smart leap as it plans to provide electronic trials without courtrooms; video-conferencing during court hearings; and real-time translations in court proceedings via a screen.

The Ministry of Justice launched four initiatives to be implemented in the next four years to ensure fair and swifter trials while ensuring easy access to justice.

By 2021, there will be an online dispute resolution mechanism, a 100 per cent smart trial with no courtroom; video conferencing in court hearings; a unified translation centre that will connect translators to secretaries of court and judges via a computer screen; and mediation and conciliation services in criminal justice.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice, said innovation and technology were the main pillars of these initiatives to parallel the country’s rapid growth and move towards its smart transformation.

He noted that the initiatives aim to protect the country’s cultural diversity, ensuring justice to all in a record time without impacting the integrity of law and achieving happiness for the community.

“Justice is no longer just issuing 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,” said Al Badi. “Judges won’t be evaluated on their impartiality only, but also their openness to other cultures and scientific developments,” he added.

Through these initiatives — which are part of the National Agenda for UAE Vision 2021 — the UAE looks at achieving the 10th rank on the Judicial System Efficiency Index of the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report and 25th rank in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, in the next four years.

The UAE currently ranks 25th internationally for the efficiency of

Justice is no longer just issuing 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.”

Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice

its judicial system and 33rd on the Rule of Law Index.

Al Badi added that the initiatives were launched after conducting international field visits and signing partnerships with global firms including The Hague Institute for the Internationalization of Law.

The ministry’s policy is based on using technology to facilitate access to justice, training judicial authorities based on new performance criteria and spreading legal culture and judicial terms to the public and partners.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com