United Arab Emirates – First court excellence conference in the UAE

THE DIFC Courts and Dubai Courts came together on 15 September 2013 to give final details of the Middle East’s first international conference on court management, which is taking place in the UAE in December. 

Organised by the International Association for Court Administration (IACA), in cooperation with the DIFC Courts and the Dubai Courts, the event themed “Court Excellence in a Changing World” is one of the “Initiatives for Legal Excellence” of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, president of the DIFC and chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council. 

The DIFC Courts and Dubai Courts have revealed that the conference will see the launch of a first Framework for Court Excellence developed specifically for the Middle East, a quality management system designed to help courts improve their performance. More than 400 delegates from  over 50 countries will also share best practices and procedures around issues such as raising standards in an era of globalisation, managing budgets in a climate of austerity, and bringing courts into the digital age. 

The two courts further revealed that confirmed speakers include HE Dr Ahmed bin Hazeem, director general of Dubai Courts; HE Michael Hwang, chief justice of the DIFC Courts; and Richard Foster, president of IACA. They will be joined by leading academics, government officials and legal professionals from across the Middle East and the rest of the world. The Dubai event will be the sixth international conference convened by IACA since its foundation in 2004, and the first to be held in the Middle East. “Court Excellence in a Changing World” will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 9th and 10th December 2013. For information visit www.courtexcellenceuae.com