Dubai Courts launches 2008 Annual Report
Document reflects Courts’ commitment to transparency, judicial independence and service quality
Dubai Courts today (Wednesday, April 29, 2009) launched its ‘Annual Report for the Year 2008” during a press conference held at the Courts’ headquarters. The document outlines Dubai Courts’ year-long performance in terms of justice, security and safety principles; criminal cases; and work progress in the Courts of First Instance.
The third annual report assessed the Courts’ achievements in line with the Dubai Courts Strategic Plan (2006 – 2008), which focused on the three main areas of human resources, internal processes, and stakeholders. The Courts had several accomplishments with regard to human resources, including honouring the judicial leaderships; increasing the capabilities of nationals through training programs that meet high standards of excellence and quality; launching an internal e-knowledge portal; and implementing an electronic archiving system based on sign language, among others.
Dubai Courts has launched several initiatives related to internal processes aimed at developing and updating its systems. These include the use of an archiving system for domestic reform documentations; the introduction of electronic translators in judicial meetings; and the launch of the notary public system. It has also adopted a special program to encourage customers and stakeholders to use the 450 plus electronic services it offers.
In line with its emphasis on maximising customer satisfaction, Dubai Courts launched several new services and implemented the first phase of its Comprehensive Employee Project which aims to raise the quality of its services to international standards. In addition, the Courts introduced a number of social, charitable, cultural, and environmental initiatives to support the sustainable development of Dubai.
Among the performance indicators measured by the report are ease of access to justice; the speed of case disposal; and the accuracy and clarity of the Courts’ judgments. The report also includes a detailed analysis of the administrative practices, systems, electronic applications, activities, projects, and initiatives which support the Court’s Strategic Plan 2009 – 2011. The current plan promotes transparency; the independence of judicial authorities; enhancement of services; and the automation of judicial procedures.
The annual report also compared results against the 2007 performance indicators. The Court of Cassation achieved an average disposition of 86 per cent, while the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance attained disposition averages of 106 per cent and 99 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, the results of the performance indicators of The Notary Public, showed an 8.1 per cent growth in transactions in 2008 compared to 2007. According to the performance indicators of the Concerned Parties’ Opinions, Dubai Courts achieved 93 per cent growth in terms of transparency, while it achieved 94 per cent in the area of Customers and Stakeholders in the Judicial System. The report also highlights indicators related to community’s opinion; human resources; the key performance indicators and the future objectives that are being accomplished during this year.
Dr. Ahmed Saeed Bin Hazeem, Dubai Courts Director General, said: “The Annual Report reflects our commitment to achieve excellence and enhance the performance of the courts. We want Dubai Courts to be seen internationally as an exemplary model based on advanced administrative systems which keep pace with global developments. We are eager to evaluate the level of development achieved by Dubai’s judicial system as well as
the success of the projects and initiatives included in the operational plan. This evaluation process will help us to identify and resolve any gaps in order to further enhance our performance and adopt innovative strategies to achieve our goal of being a pioneer in courts work.”
Arabic and English versions of the report are available at the Dubai Courts internet portal. The Courts plans to publish and distribute the document through the media to the public so that citizens can familiarize themselves with the statistics and analysis of the performance of the courts, its administrative units, and its achievements for 2008.
The report is the result of joint efforts between Dubai Courts and the judicial authorities. The report reflects Dubai Courts’ values of team work; independence, justice, equality and creativity.
