UAE: New digital platform launched to link federal, local courts

A new unified digital platform has been launched in the UAE to link federal courts with local courts, through a project that includes data linkage and litigation affairs.

The project, which is still underway, will be activated during the last quarter of 2022, said the UAE Minister of Justice.

During his presentation on the Ministry of Justice’s policy regarding family guidance at the recent Federal National Council (FNC) meeting, Abdullah Sultan bin Awad said the unified digital judicial system is being developed at the national level through the Judicial Coordination Council.

He also said the ministry was preparing to introduce specialised training courses for family counsellors through its Judicial Training Institute.

The minister’s comments followed Aisha Muhammad Al Mulla's, Chairperson of the FNC Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Affairs and Appeals, presentation of a report by her committee on the challenges faced in the field of family guidance, including lack of unified professional license requirements for family counsellors, and recommendations to the FNC members.

The report also highlighted the lack of an integrated strategy for family guidance at the national level, the absence of a unified policy in providing services by family guidance centres, the difference in some family guidance work systems in the courts, and the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Justice and other concerned parties.

The justice minister noted that he concurred with the committee’s report regarding the lack of an integrated strategy for family guidance. He, however, pointed out that through the ministry’s Judicial Coordination Council at the national level, the committee’s recommendation to develop a unified integrated strategy regarding family guidance will be adopted after being discussed by the judicial council.

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The committee had recommended the need to develop an integrated strategy regarding families and work to unify policies related to the qualification and training of family counsellors, standards for measuring the performance and quality of work of family guidance offices, and work systems in the courts.

The report also recommended that there was need to amend the law regulating personal status (Federal Law No. 28 of 2005) and the related bylaws and regulations to ensure that such legislation keeps pace with social and economic changes and develops the role of family guidance committees and to enable it to provide specialised guidance services.

• Abu Dhabi