News from the Courts
THE DIFC COURTS welcomed a delegation from the Supreme Court of Singapore, as the leading English language courts in the Middle East and Asia continued to share best practices and strengthen ties. Led by Mr. Foo Chee Hock, Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore, the delegation was given a tour of the DIFC Courts and introduced to their legal framework and processes, which recently achieved the prestigious International Standard for Service Excellence (TISSE) certification. The discussions covered a whole spectrum of topics of mutual interest, including case management, the use of technology in the litigation process, eDiscovery and the International
Framework for Court Excellence. The Singapore delegation also attended a talk by Mr. Michael Hwang, Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts, on the recently revised Mandatory Code of Conduct designed to safeguard businesses operating in the region. Mr. Foo Chee Hock, Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore commented that as the business of the courts become more globalised, it is imperative that leading commercial courts cooperates and collaborates to explore innovative solutions. He noted, that this visit was a golden opportunity for the Supreme Court of Singapore and the DIFC Courts to discuss and share their experiences and best practices, and to learn from each other.
THE DIFC COURTS will hold their Annual Gala Dinner the ‘Cirque de loi’ event on October 9, 2014. The event promises to be an evening of camaraderie, entertainment, and achievement awards in celebration of the Dubai legal community and for the benefit of the Pro Bono Programme. The event will bring together legal dignitaries, local and international law firms, legal consultants, and in-house counsel of Dubai to celebrate achievements over the past year. Sheila L. Shadmand, partner-in-charge of Jones Day Dubai, who heads the organising committee of the dinner said, “This year’s Legal Gala Dinner promises to be our biggest yet. We already have over 400 lawyers attending this year, so for those who have not yet booked, they better do so soon before we are sold out. This is the one night of the year where all Dubai lawyers can come together to celebrate our success as a legal community – and to sit together at the same tables rather than on opposite sides. The night will be full of fun and glamour – all on the theme ‘Cirque de Loi’. We will have acrobats, stilt walkers, and magicians entertaining us throughout the night. And the entertainment will continue after dinner, with a live auction of items donated by many of the managing partners and heads of legal departments in Dubai. Ever wanted to cruise on your managing partner’s yacht or drive his car around the autodrome or push each other out of a plane during a skydiving venture? Well, come to this year’s Gala Dinner and you’ll have an opportunity to bid on exactly that and many more, with all proceeds going to the DIFC Courts Pro Bono Programme.” To book a place at the event, contact Customer Support Office at these numbers 04-4273333/3368 or email events team at: events@difccourts.ae
THE DIFC COURTS Chief Justice chaired the third DIFC Courts lecture of 2014 that included speaks from the UAE, Singapore and UK, who shared their personal insights on how different jurisdictions around the world tackle this key issue for courts. Leading judges, lawyers and administrators came together in Dubai on September 7 to discuss international best practices regarding the disclosure of electronic documents. The speakers rendered thought-provoking speeches about disclosure in three of the world’s leading commercial jurisdictions, which led to an interesting discussion with the audience about their applicability elsewhere. Robert Karrar-Lewsley, a Senior Associate with Al Tamimi looked at the disclosure procedures at the DIFC Courts, Richard Wilson QC, a barrister with 36 Bedford Row, gave the England & Wales perspective, while Yeong Zee Kin, Senior Assistant Registrar and Chief Information Officer of the Supreme Court of Singapore, shared his experience on disclosure in his home country. Giving the perspective of business was John Lapraik, a solicitor with UK company Millnet Limited.
THE DIFC COURTS established English-language, commercial common law judicial system, an expanded Mandatory Code of Conduct offering greater protection to businesses operating globally. The revised Code amplifies the provisions already in place, and is designed to ensure the increasing number of lawyers using the DIFC Courts, maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct when representing their clients. The DIFC Courts Mandatory Code of Conduct, introduced in 2009, was supplemented in 2013 with the launch of a Voluntary Code of Best Legal Professional Practice to serve as a benchmark for behaviour and professional standards. The revised Mandatory Code integrates the most important elements of the Voluntary Code, including taking a practitioner’s litigation expertise and their conduct outside of the DIFC into consideration when they are practising before the DIFC Courts. These changes have been necessitated by the rapid growth of the DIFC Courts in recent years and their increasingly international workload. Since their jurisdiction was opened to businesses worldwide in October 2011, the number of legal practitioners registered with the DIFC Courts has risen by 58 per cent, from 220 to 347. The Mandatory Code of Conduct was revised by a team led by Natasha Bakirci, Assistant Registrar of the DIFC Courts, following consultation with stakeholders in the UAE legal community.
