DIFC Courts

DIFC Courts and Dubai Courts bring International Association for Court Administration (IACA) event to UAE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30 June 2013: The Programme for the Middle East’s first ever conference on court excellence – being held in Dubai this December – has been published, with the challenging theme “Court Excellence in a Changing World”.

The event 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 Conference is being organised by the International Association for Court Administration (IACA), in cooperation with the DIFC Courts and the Dubai Courts. More than 400 delegates from across the world will convene at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 9 and 10 December 2013 to share best practices and procedures for court excellence. The event will be the sixth international conference convened by IACA since its foundation in 2004.

The agenda for this year’s conference features discussion on raising international standards in an era of globalisation, managing budgets in a climate of austerity, and bringing courts into the digital age.

The Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts, Michael Hwang, said: “A major focus will be on offering an improved quality of service to both lawyers and litigants. The complexity and sensitivity of the work of courts worldwide requires increasing levels of leadership to manage change successfully. Speakers and delegates will have many success stories to share, as well as aspirations to express.”

HE Dr Ahmed Bin Hazeem, Director General of Dubai Courts, commented: “This will be the first conference in the Middle East on the important theme of improving court excellence and technology: Dubai is the natural location for a regional forum based on quality, leadership and strategy. Delegates will also be able to tour the Dubai Courts and DIFC Courts and see first-hand how excellence is being applied in the UAE civil law and common law judicial systems.”

Jeffrey Apperson, Chief Executive Officer of IACA, added: “This December, judges, lawyers, officials and academics from more than 40 countries will convene in Dubai to share best practice and promote court excellence. The agenda for the 2013 IACA conference is the most compelling yet, with the industry’s best speakers tackling the judicial system’s most pressing issues.”

IACA is a global association of professionals who share a common interest in promoting improved administration in justice systems worldwide. It is a non-profit association which encourages the pursuit of excellence internationally – collaborating with court officials to develop the institutional frameworks and operational efficiencies of courts everywhere. Its efforts focus on civil and common law systems alike.