Fact Sheet - H1 2019

TOTAL VALUE OF CLAIMS FILED CFI (INCLUDING ARBITRATION)

AED 2

BILLION JAN. - JUNE 2019

4-6

SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL TOTAL VALUE OF CLAIMS FILED

WEEKS

AED 37.4

AVERAGE TIME FOR SCT CASES TO BE RESOLVED AFTER SUCCESSFUL SERVICE

MILLION

FACT

SHEET HALF YEAR

2019

JAN. - JUNE 2019

23

PRO BONO CLINICS IN 2019

282

INDIVIDUALS SERVED

@difccourts

difccourts

www.difccourts.ae

@difccourts

difccourts

JUDICIAL BENCH

FACT SHEET 2019

DIFC COURTS TEAM

66%

34%

WOMEN

MEN

UK 2 3 UAE

DEVELOPING EMIRATI TALENT

1 Malaysia Singapore 1

37%

3 Australia

of the DIFC Courts team are UAE nationals

OUTREACH The DIFC Courts are committed to transparency and customer engagement. This requires regular and robust communications with stakeholders conducted via:

Quarterly Newsletters

Social Media

eREGISTRY

Regular Events: Quarterly Lecture Series and Annual Legal Gala Dinner

Media Relations

Annual Review

Actively Managed Website

News Alerts

The DIFC Courts operate a full registry service online. This enables remote 24/7 secure case progression and administration, e-payments and practitioner registration facilities.

Registered Legal Practitioners in 2019

Law Firms: 133

Individual Lawyers: 248

Courtroom The state-of-the-art courtroom communications equipment plays a key role in supporting the increasing international caseloads in 2019.

Parties are able to contribute to hearings via video conference or have access to their cases online, as well as use e-bundling.

WILLS SERVICE CENTRE

KEY HIGHLIGHTS • JAN. 2019: Visit to HE Chancellor Yosuf Alabri, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Undersecretary • FEB. 2019: Agreement with Dubai Healthcare City Authority • FEB. 2019: Participation at the Leadership in Judicial Innovation Forum organised by the Ministry of Justice

5,160

549

• MAR. 2019: Memorandum of Understanding with Dubai Land Department • APR. 2019: Participation at the Corporate Counsel Forum Middle East • APR. 2019: Visit to Justice Ahmed AlDuailej, Secretary General of the Supreme Court in the KSA

Total wills registered

Total wills registered Jan. - June 2019

• MAY 2019: Participation at the Legal 500 summit • MAY 2019: Visit to HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance • JUN. 2019: Visit to Kuwait Bar Association

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (CFI) The CFI has exclusive jurisdiction over any civil or commercial case when it relates to the DIFC. It can also hear cases when the contract in question specifies DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction (pre-dispute jurisdiction) or when both parties elect to use DIFC Courts to resolve a dispute which has already arisen (post-dispute resolution). One judge hears proceedings in the CFI.

Total value of claims filed

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

CFI (Including Arbitration)

95% of visitors said they were happy with the services provided by DIFC Courts

AED 2

BILLION JAN. - JUNE 2019

SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL (SCT) The first of its kind in the region, the SCT was set up to enable access to justice in a swift and efficient manner. The SCT operates with a community approach that promotes settlement. Cases in the SCT are resolved in an expeditious, cost-efficient manner without the need for lawyers.

The SCT can hear: Claims within the jurisdiction of the DIFC where: • The amount or

OR • The claim relates to the

OR

• In the context of claims which are not employment related,

value of the claims

employment or former employment

the amount or value of the claim does not exceed

does not exceed

of a party and the amount or value

AED 1 million; and all parties elect in writing that it can

AED 500,000;

of the claims exceed AED 500,000

be heard by SCT, such election can be made in

and all parties to the claim elect in

the underlying contract (if any) or subsequently.

writing that it be heard by the SCT. There is no value limit for the SCT’s elective jurisdiction in the context of employment claims;

Number of claims filed

4-6

Total value of claims filed

average time for SCT cases to be resolved after successful service

243 CASES

321

AED

WEEKS

37.5

MILLION

CASES

JAN. - JUN 2019 JAN. - JUNE 2018

JAN. - JUNE 2019

SCT

23%

INCREASE

ENFORCEMENT

COURT OF APPEAL (CA)

Total value of claims filed

The Court of Appeal deals with a variety of civil and commercial disputes. It comprises a panel of three judges, and deals with:

• Appeals filed against judgments and awards made by the CFI

AED 288.6 MILLION

• Interpretations of any article of the DIFC’s laws based upon the request of any of the DIFC’s establishments, provided that the establishment obtains leave of the Chief Justice in this regard. Such interpretation shall have the power of law

JAN. - JUN 2019

COOPERATION WITH OTHER COURTS AT HOME AND ABROAD DIFC Courts have signed many important memoranda with local and international courts. DIFC Courts’ money judgments can be enforced internationally through treaties and reciprocal arrangements with common law courts overseas.

THE SUPREME COURT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN SHANGHAI HIGH PEOPLE’S COURT JORDANIAN MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

COMMERCIAL COURT OF ENGLAND AND WALES THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK (SDNY)

THE PARIS CONVENTION

THE TUNISIAN REPUBLIC

THE RIYADH CONVENTION

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE RAS AL REGION OF THE KHAIMAH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA THE GCC CONVENTION

THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

HIGH COURT OF ZAMBIA

THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (2004)

THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA

THE SUPREME COURT OF SINGAPORE

HANGZHOU ARBITRATION COMMISSION

THE NATIONAL COURT ADMINISTRATION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF KOREA

FEDERAL COURT OF MALAYSIA

THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

THE RIYADH CONVENTION (1983) THE GCC CONVENTION (1996)

TREATIES MEMORANDUM OF GUIDANCE/MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

PRO BONO PROGRAMME

THE PRO BONO CLINIC INITIATIVE

The Pro Bono Programme was created for those who cannot afford a lawyer to receive access to free legal advice. Services range from basic advice to full case management and representation in proceedings.

2019 Half Year

56 volunteer firms

160 individual lawyers

*Figures quoted are from period January - June, 2019

THE NEW SOUTH WALES SUPREME COURT

23 Clinics

282 individuals served