Reopening responsibly: Lawyers, prosecutors work with 50% staff in Dubai

Dubai - Prosecuting procedures were, however, going on nonstop during the global pandemic.

With the gradual return to normalcy at all government departments and economic and business sectors in the UAE, the Dubai Public Prosecution has reopened on Sunday with 50 per cent of its staff.
Safety protocol was circulated all across the buildings of the public prosecution on screens and also sent by e-mails. The Covid-19 precautionary measures included also comprehensive sterilisation of all the offices and facilities of the headquarters, thermal scanners and sanitisers were in place and everybody was asked to wear face masks and gloves.
Prosecuting procedures were, however, going on nonstop during the global pandemic.
Photo: Abdul Monem Bin Suwaidan of Bin Suwaidan, Emirati lawyer, Firm for Advocates and Legal Counsels.
The business was as usual also for law firms as they have reopened their offices with 50 per cent capacity. "Today we are back to work with half of our staff. Even when the movement restrictions were in place, our work was running remotely," said Emirati lawyer Abdul Monem bin Suwaidan of Bin Suwaidan Advocates and Legal Counsels.
"We have been attending virtual court hearings and sessions related to real estate disputes via Zoom and Microsoft Teams. We registered cases, filed appeals at the courts and paid fees online so work has been running smoothly."
As to the case files, they have been prepared via the Botim app.
The firm has remained reachable and communication with clients and legal consultations would happen by phone, WhatsApp, e-mails and social media, he said. "There has been constant communication with our existing clients who wanted to check and follow up on their lawsuits. We update them on any new developments. In addition, new customers reached out to us for legal consultations. These were extended through phone or by direct contact with the lawyer. I have a Zoom meeting on Monday with a client. Some clients would sometimes insist on meeting in person but as a general practice, we opt for Zoom meetings for legal consultations," Bin Suwaidan told Khaleej Times.
Asked about the nature of cases for which people seek urgent legal consultation, he said: "Mostly they are domestic disputes, Sharia court cases and commercial litigations."
He pointed out that two weeks from now, the staff presence at the office will be by full capacity.
Photo: Hani Hammouda of Kefah Al Zaabi, Egyptian lawyer, Firm for Advocacy and Legal Consultancy
According to Egyptian lawyer Hani Hammouda of Kefah Al Zaabi Firm for Advocacy and Legal Consultancy, most of the transactions were being processed online even before the restrictions. "I am talking about registering cases and appeals. Furthermore, uploading of memos and claims were all done remotely."
Hammouda said that individuals can attend the court hearings by logging on to the Dubai Courts portal and checking out the dates and timings.
The notary public offices have been verifying the identity of individuals by video call for services related to the general power of attorney. The rental dispute settlement centre has also the remote litigation service since over a couple of years whereas parties don't have to be physically present for a hearing, Hammouda explained.
"As for police-related transactions like complaints against bounced cheques or non-payment of dues, it has been happening via the police portal," Hammouda pointed out.
Prosecution procedures during the pandemic
(Figures from the onset of Covid-19 crisis until the beginning of May)
>117 cases were remotely investigated by the Dubai public prosecution
>149 investigation records were written up and virtually signed
>149 parties to cases were remotely interviewed
>138 hours prosecutors spent in remote investigations
>734 executive orders were issued remotely
>53 smart bails were executed virtually
>62 judicial notifications were served remotely
>577 integrated digital platforms were available by video calls for staff
>7,591 customers' requests were responded to remotely
>456 training hours were conducted virtually for staff
>734 executive orders remotely
>313 draft judicial orders were typed online
>112 sterilization hours for all the buildings and facilities of the public prosecution
>350 strategic and operational indexes were followed up remotely
mary@khaleejtimes.com 
 

• Dubai