83% CFI Settlement Rate 2016
1
AED
AED
ENFORCEMENT 2.7
BILLION
BILLION
$
$
2015
2016
Jan to Dec
Jan to Dec
OUR BENCH Combined experience spans more than 350 YEARS
FACT SHEET FULL YEAR 2016
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE COURTS Ground Floor, Bldg. 4, The Gate District, DIFC - PO Box 211724, Dubai, UAE - Tel: +971 4 427 3333, Fax: +971 4 427 3330 - DIFC Courts Hours of Operation: 8am to 5pm, Sunday to Thursday - DIFC Courts Registry Opening Hours: 10am to 4pm, Sunday to Thursday - Emergency Application Number: 24/7 on +971 4 427 3331 @difccourts difccourts www.difccourts.ae
@difccourts
Difccourts
FACTSHEET 2016
JUDICIAL BENCH
DIFC COURTS TEAM 70%
UK
30% MEN
WOMEN
4 3
UAE
Singapore
1
1
OUR BENCH
Malaysia
1
Combined experience spans more than 350 YEARS
Australia
OUTREACH The DIFC Courts are committed to transparency and customer engagement. This requires regular and robust communications with stakeholders conducted via:
Quarterly Newsletters
Social Media
Regular Events: Quarterly Lecture Series and Annual Legal Gala Dinner
Media Relations
Annual Report
An actively managed website
News Alerts
eREGISTRY The DIFC Courts operate a full registry service on-line. This enables remote, 24/7 secure case progression and administration, e-payments and practitioner registration facilities. Registered Legal Practitioners in 2016
137 law firms
658 individual lawyers
Courtroom The state-of-the-art courtroom communications equipment plays a key role in supporting the increasing international caseload in 2016. Parties are able to contribute to hearings via video conference or have access to their cases online.
DEVELOPING EMIRATI TALENT 50% 50% of the DIFC Courts team are UAE nationals
AWARDS • In 2016: DRA Academy of Law won the In-house Innovation Award at the Middle East Legal Awards • In 2015: DIFC Courts won the “Excellence in Innovation Award” at The Middle East Legal Awards in Dubai organised by The Oath • In 2015: DIFC Courts won the prestigious Service Olympian Award for the Best Customer Experience Strategy for the second year running • 2014 DIFC Courts became the first Dubai Government entity to receive five stars under the country’s new rating system for government services • 2014 UK Law Society Award for Excellence in International Legal Services • 2013 Olympian Award for Best Customer Premises • 2013 International Standard for Service Excellence (TISSE) certification • 2012 UAE Customer Service Week STAR Award for Individual Skills • 2011 UAE Customer Service Week STAR Award for Best Public Sector Initiative • 2010 Ideas Arabia Idea of the Year Award for the Code of Professional Conduct
2
SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL (SCT) The only operating tribunal of its kind in the region, the SCT was set up to enable access to justice in a swift and efficient manner. The SCT operates with a community approach that promotes settlement, Cases in the SCT are resolved in an expeditious, cost-efficient manner without the need for lawyers. The SCT can hear: Claims within the jurisdiction of the DIFC where:
or
• The claim relates to the employment or former employment of a party and the amount or value of the claim exceeds AED 500,000 and all parties to the claim elect in writing that it be heard by the SCT. There is no value limit for the SCT’s elective jurisdiction in the context of employment claims;
• The amount or value of the claim does not exceed AED 500,000;
or
Number of claims filed
Total value of claims filed*
of SCT cases are resolved in less than 4 weeks after successful service
217
AED
75%
20.1
MILLION
60
CASES
• In the context of claims which are not employment related, the amount or value of the claim does not exceed AED 1 million; and all parties elect in writing that it be heard by the SCT, such election can be made in the underlying contract (if any) or subsequently.
CASES
5%
SCT
INCREASE
$
2016
Jan to Dec 2016 From Jan to Dec
2017 From Jan to Mar
COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (CFI) The CFI has exclusive jurisdiction over any civil or commercial case when it relates to the DIFC. It can also hear cases when the contract in question specifies DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction (pre-dispute jurisdiction) or when both parties elect to use DIFC Courts to resolve a dispute which has already arisen (post-dispute jurisdiction). Proceedings in the CFI are heard by one Judge.
Total value of claims filed
Settlement rate in the CFI
AED
CFI (Including ARB)*
3
BILLION
83%
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 96% of visitors said they were very happy with their DIFC Courts experience
settlement rate
$
2016
Jan to Dec
*Increase compared to the same period in 2015
Full year figure for 2016
3
COURT OF APPEAL (CA)
ENFORCEMENT
• Appeals filed against judgments and awards made by the CFI • Interpretation of any article of the DIFC’s laws based upon the request of any of the DIFC’s establishments, provided that the establishment obtains leave of the Chief Justice in this regard. Such interpretation shall have the power of law.
AED
AED
The Court of Appeal deals with a variety of civil and commercial disputes. It comprises a panel of three judges, and deals with:
1
2.7
BILLION
BILLION
$
$
The CA is the highest court in the DIFC Courts and there is no appeal from this Court’s decision.
2015
2016
Jan to Dec
Jan to Dec
COOPERATION WITH OTHER COURTS AT HOME AND ABROAD DIFC Courts have signed many important memoranda with local and international courts. DIFC Courts’ money judgments can be enforced internationally through treaties and reciprocal arrangements with common law courts overseas.
Shanghai High people’s court
Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan & DIFC Courts
LEBANON SYRIA
TUNISIA
PALESTINE JORDAN
MOROCCO ALGERIA LIBYA
MAURITANIA
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY)
IRAQ KUWAIT
BAHRAIN QATAR SAUDI ARABIA
SUDAN
The The Republic of Kazakhstan (2009) Republic of China The National (2004) The Paris Court Convention Administration of (1992) Ras Al Khaimah the Supreme Court of Korea & the DIFC Courts DIFC
COURTS The Tunisian The Arab Republic Republic The Riyadh The GCC (1975) of Egypt Convention Convention (2000) (1983) (1996)
OMAN
MAURITANIA
Commercial Court of England and Wales
YEMEN DJIBOUTI SOMALIA
The High Court of Kenya (Commercial and Admiralty Division)
The Supreme Court of Singapore
The Federal Court of The New South Australia Wales Supreme Court
THE RIYADH CONVENTION (1983)
TREATIES
THE GCC CONVENTION (1996)
MEMORANDUM OF GUIDANCE/ MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
PRO BONO PROGRAMME The Pro Bono Programme was created for those who cannot afford a lawyer to receive access to free legal advice. Services range from basic advice to full case management and representation in proceedings.
*47 volunteers firms
*137 individual volunteers
THE PRO BONO CLINIC INITIATIVE Over 700 attendees from the UAE Legal Gala community gathered at the 2016 Legal Gala to support the DRA Academy of Law Pro Bono Programme in 2016. This year’s Legal Gala Dinner will take place on 20 November at the JW Marriot Marquis Dubai. For booking, contact legal.gala@draacademy.ae
*45 Clinics
24 Clinics
24 Clinics
200 individuals served
350 individuals served
400 individuals served
2014
2015
2016
*Figures updated as of March 2017 4