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Litigants at UAE courts given equal treatment

Minister of Justice Hadif bin Jowan Al Dhahiri has stressed on the importance of giving equal treatment to all litigants at the courts of law across the country.

Hadif bin Jowan Al Dhahiri and top officials during the launch of the Ministry of Justice’s Strategic Plan 2014-2016 in Dubai Festival City on Wednesday. — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd

The minister denied religious or ethnic partiality or any other kind of discrimination while handling cases. He referred to the rules and policies being followed in the country in terms of the general practice followed worldwide.

The minister made his remarks on the sidelines of the launch of the Ministry of Justice’s Strategic Plan 2014-2016 at the Intercontinental Festival City Hotel on Wednesday.

Al Dhahiri noted that the ministry has a Customers Code of Ethics, which is unified and enforced on all. “We have been keen to work based on such a code.”

Al Dhahiri said the ministry has many services that are free of charge. All applications submitted to the Shariah Courts are free of charge, as per the Personal Status Law. The law states that a worker is exempted from paying court charges even if he loses the case.

Responding to a question raised by Khaleej Times regarding collection of fees, Al Dhahiri said the procedures are stringent in line with what is followed at the federal level. He said receipts of court fees are given to the Ministry of Finance. “The Ministry of Justice is also accepting the e-dirham,” he said.

Al Dhahiri pointed out that the ministry finalised the Competitiveness and Foreign Investment Statute in 2012, and now the law is being reviewed by a technical committee to make the necessary amendments to it, with respect to the Bankruptcy Law and Commercial Arbitration Law.

He said the ministry has finished discussions on the Anti Trade Fraud Law and its amendments and will soon be issued.

“The amendments to the Anti Human Trafficking Law have also been made,” he said.

The UAE’s economy, he said, is the second largest Arab economy. “We created a special court to look into economic cases.”

He said new specialised courts will come up, as per the Strategic Plan 2014-2016. “These courts would require specialised judges particularly when dealing with commercial lawsuits pertaining to the national economy.”

Currently, there are judicial circuits specialised in labour, civil and commercial cases. “There are also courts specialised in handling cyber crimes, consumer cases, traffic and residency.”

The ministry, he said, has been transferring officers working for the judicial authority to serve overseas. “This is part of the ministry’s strategic plan to boost the performance of its employees.”

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com