Emirates: Smart judicial systems and tight deadlines have shortened court processing to 40 days, a move welcomed by lawyers in Abu Dhabi.

Lawyers in the UAE capital said that the days of long-term court cases that sometimes took years to resolve are almost gone, thanks to smart systems and tight procedural deadlines enforced by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) in recent years.

Last year, the department managed to cut down the time it took to resolve cases to 40 days at first instance courts and 34 days in appeals. Abdullah Zahran, Director of Strategic Planning and Institutional Development at ADJD, attributed the reduced litigation periods to innovative systems introduced by the department and the use of advanced technology to ensure seamless procedures.

“Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have played a crucial role in enhancing judicial efficiency,” he said. “These efforts support the department’s goal to achieve fair and efficient justice.”

The capital’s lawyers said they have witnessed a significant improvement in judicial processing, saving both theirs and litigants' substantial time and effort.

Ali Al Abbadi, a lawyer in Abu Dhabi courts since 1996, said processing became faster since the department digitised litigation during Covid, and enforced tighter deadlines for various procedures.

“For instance, there are many types of cases that can be dropped by reconciliation and if the accuser withdraws his claims, dropping charges can be done electronically which saves massive time and effort.”

The longest cases he dealt with in the past took up to one year in the Court of First Instance, and between three to four years overall. “It was normal for big cases to take years in court, especially if it involves assets and property. Now, the longest case could take a couple of months,” he said.

“Most delays usually occur during the execution phase, when the court rules in favour of one party, and the other party does not implement the order, by paying the ordered amounts, for instance,” he added.

While some may argue that speeding up procedures and deadlines does not give defence or plaintiffs sufficient time to present their case, he said judges can determine whether more time is needed. “But you sometimes find litigators stalling with procedures and presenting evidence.”

“It is crucial for litigators to hire a practicing lawyer who is familiar with the electronic system to avoid bouncing back and forth and paying unnecessary fees.”

Speedy system

Veteran lawyer Fayza Moussa, said almost every lawyer she knows, “both old and new, are extremely happy with the new speedy system.”

“It has become very easy to serve, for instance, it can be done automatically through WhatsApp or SMS.”

Cases that require expert reports, are also breezing through. “Requests are sent to the experts’ department on the same day the case is heard, and the department must assign an expert to look into the case within three days max. And within one week, a hearing is scheduled.

“We were struggling before with pending cases taking so long, an adjournment took up to five weeks, now it is no longer than a week or 10 days. We no longer suffer from accumulating case files at our firms,” she added.

Mousa who has been a practicing lawyer in Abu Dhabi since 1994, said the lengthiest lawsuit she dealt with took up to five years in total, from 2018 to 2023. “To be fair, the cases required a lot of time to serve my client his deserved rights worth millions of dirhams.”