New judicial roles at DIFC Courts

The changes include the appointment of a new deputy chief justice, the addition of a new international judge to the bench, and expanded roles for the Courts’ Emirati judges.

The DIFC Courts has announced a major round of promotions and appointments that will contribute significantly to judicial excellence in Dubai. The changes, which cover both national and expatriate judges, have been made to further strengthen the DIFC Courts’ ability to handle the most complex transnational commercial disputes.  

After five years of service, Justice Sir David Steel has been named as the new deputy chief justice of the DIFC Courts. A former judge-in-charge of the Commercial Court in the High Court of London, he has particular expertise in maritime law and the commercial, banking, insurance, oil and gas, and aerospace sectors. Deputy chief justice Steel replaces Justice Sir John Chadwick, who is stepping down upon reaching the statutory retirement age. Justice Chadwick, who served the DIFC Courts for eight distinguished years, will retire once his current roster of cases is complete.

Justice Chadwick’s place on the DIFC Courts’ bench will be filled by Justice Sir Jeremy Cooke, a former Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court in the High Court of London. A commercial litigation specialist, Justice Cooke began his legal career in 1971 and was appointed a High Court Judge in 2001.

In an associated move, two of the DIFC Courts’ Emirati judges have had their roles expanded to include broader functions both at home and abroad. H.E. Justice Omar Al Muhairi, who has completed 11 years with the organisation and is one of the committee members who established the DIFC Courts, has been promoted to Senior Resident Judge. In this new role, he will serve as the Chief Justice’s representative and spokeperson when liaising with UAE ministries and local government entities. Meanwhile, H.E. Justice Ali Al Madhani will become the principal ambassador for the DIFC Courts in matters related to Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Completing the round of organisational changes is the appointment of Ayesha Bin Kalban and Mahika Hart as full members of the Small Claim Tribunal (SCT), which typically hears cases less than AED500,000 in value. Trained lawyers, their appointments follow the completion of an immersion and familiarisation period with the SCT team.