United Arab Emirates – ‘Smart Court’ campaign by Dubai Courts

THE Dubai Courts has launched a new campaign that encourages the public as well as the judicial sector to be more innovative. 

Due to popular demand, the ‘Smart Court’ campaign has been extended by an extra month, which will now end on September 27, 2013 allowing more time to submit smartphone application ideas. 

“We want our citizens to engage in the everyday business of government and access government services, via their mobile phones,” stated His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, at the launch of the ‘Smart Government’ programme. 

In order to motivate participants, valuable awards will be given to those who offer the most creative ideas. Each award recognises different factors ranging in ideas from a ‘Gold Idea’ to ‘Imaginative Ideas’ as well as ‘Student Ideas’, acknowledging efforts from all fields of society. 

In addition to this, the winning ideas will be honoured and awarded with beneficial prizes such as a car, a diamond necklace or a holiday vacation. 

The campaign’s slogan, ‘Your Suggestions Make the Future,’ inspires the public from all sectors to participate, in order to develop and improve services and procedures to facilitate its regular customers. As a result of this, several ideas are received daily, merely from the judiciary and legal sectors in Dubai. 

One significant driving force for this campaign is to support the nomination of Dubai to host the World Expo 2020, by focusing on a number of objectives. One of these is raising the readiness of Dubai to host the Expo 2020. Another is leading a campaign to invite members of the Dubai judicial sector to produce creative suggestions to enhance the performance in Dubai Courts. 

According to the Director General of Dubai Courts, Dr Ahmad Saeed Bin Hazim, this campaign aims to receive around 10,000 ideas for smartphone applications. Lawyers, experts and students of colleges of law are all encouraged to participate in the campaign as well as the staff of the Dubai Government. 

“A team of Dubai Courts’ employees made a series of visits to a number of relevant bodies such as DIFC Courts and Dubai Judicial Institute, to introduce workers of those organisations to the campaign,” elaborated Bin Hazim. 

Multiple criteria are used to assess the submitted suggestions in a fair and thorough manner, by analysing efficiency and effectiveness in terms of reduction of turnaround, and cost and effort of the service rendered. Other criteria aspects focus on how creative an idea is in solving an issue in a unique way, improving the services and facilitating the customers. 

Suggestion forms are available through the Dubai Courts’ ‘Nebras’ smartphone application, giving participants the opportunity to provide as many ideas as they please.