Residents in Abu Dhabi are now able to file lawsuits through a mobile application in order to speed up the claims process, improve the public’s access to legal assistance and reduce the need for court appearances, officials at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department told local media.
The new technology will enable users to upload required documents and pay fees online, allowing them to file claims within minutes and attend hearings through video conference.
The move is part of a series of changes by authorities at the department to improve the capital’s legal offerings.
In February, the department introduced Hindi as the third official language of the Abu Dhabi legal system in order to allow Indian expats to lodge claims in a faster and easier manner. Mandarin was also introduced to attract more investors to the emirate.
Last year, authorities revealed that all plaintiffs in civil and commercial cases will be required to translate court documents into English if they or the other party did not speak Arabic.
This week, prominent Emirati lawyer and chairman of local law firm Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla criticised a new legal support service announced by Dubai Courts as a “bad idea” that will create “serious issues” for users, legal firms and law graduates.
According to its website, the Al Adheed service centre will provide “7-star” legal services, including the submission of applications for case registrations, case follow-up enquiries, marriage documentation and information about attending sessions remotely.
While the centre offers prices as low as AED52 ($14.15), it does not require its employees to have any legal degree, education, experience, regulation or supervision. As a result, they are not required by law to maintain attorney-client privilege, and are allowed to represent conflicting parties.
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