Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi witnesses the first meeting of the Council of Lawyers and Legal Advisors

Sharjah, 8 July / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Judicial Council, today witnessed the Success Partners Forum of the First Council of Lawyers and Legal Consultants, organized by the Judicial Department, at the Sharjah Media City Business Center “Shams”.

His Highness the President of the Judicial Council stressed that lawyers and legal advisors represent a major partner in consolidating the justice system, and that their role is not limited to pleading and defending rights, but rather extends to contributing to developing the legal environment and enhancing confidence in the judiciary, indicating that the integration of roles between the components of the judicial system is the basic foundation for achieving effective justice.

His Highness pointed out that the Judicial Council continues to work on developing judicial services and procedures in line with best practices, and raises the efficiency of performance and speed of completion of cases, stressing that improving customer experience and raising levels of satisfaction represent an ongoing priority, by adopting developmental solutions and benefiting from constructive proposals that contribute to improving the judicial work system.

His Highness the President of the Judicial Council explained that these forums constitute an important platform for enhancing direct communication with lawyers and legal advisors, and listening to their opinions and observations, in a way that supports making developmental decisions based on practical reality, stressing the Council’s keenness to continue these meetings periodically, and to translate observations and proposals into initiatives that contribute to enhancing justice, consolidating the principles of transparency, and achieving the aspirations of society.

Judge Dr. Muhammad Obaid Al Kaabi, Head of the Judicial Department, delivered a speech in which he welcomed the audience, praising the effective role of lawyers and legal advisors in applying the law with integrity and authenticity, and their contribution to building a solid judicial system based on solid foundations.

He said: “Here we continue to work with you towards new horizons, to improve your professional experience, and provide more efficient and quality services. Your efforts are appreciated, and your professional commitment represents one of the most important factors in enhancing justice, accelerating the adjudication of cases, and completing legal transactions.”

Al-Kaabi touched on the most prominent achievements achieved by the department, pointing out that the total number of applications submitted during the past 6 months amounted to 130,209 applications, of which 8,397 applications were from lawyers, while the number of completed applications reached 115,476 applications, with a completion rate of 88.7%, which is a percentage that reflects the integration of efforts in achieving the goals. The total number of sessions reached 31,146 sessions, of which 30,000 were concluded. And 809 sessions.

The sessions held remotely constituted 95% of the total sessions, with a total of 29,596 sessions, while the percentage of in-person sessions amounted to 5%, with 1,550 sessions. The department registered 5,401 agencies, including 162 digital powers of attorney for lawyers. The number registered in the system reached 227,691 litigants, individuals, companies, experts, and translators, including 1,803 lawyers.

He added that these numbers do not represent mere statistical indicators, but rather reflect the volume of work, the integration of efforts, and the continuous development of services, based on the department’s keenness to meet the needs of lawyers, develop electronic services, and simplify procedures, which contributes to accelerating litigation and raising the efficiency of performance, and its keenness to understand the views and observations of lawyers, and to seek their opinions about the services provided.

Al-Kaabi reviewed the results of a questionnaire measuring the level of customer satisfaction, which aims to benefit from its results in developing services and enhancing the experience of lawyers. The results showed an average overall satisfaction with the services provided at a rate of 68.9%, while the quality of the services provided recorded a satisfaction rate of 70.9%, and the ease of using electronic systems and digital services reached 69.1%. The clarity of procedures and instructions regarding the services provided to lawyers reached 69.1%, and the percentage of satisfaction with cooperation and communication between the Judicial Department and lawyers reached 63.6%. As for employing artificial intelligence techniques to develop services provided to lawyers, it received a support rate of 70.9%.

The head of the Judicial Department stressed that these results constitute an important indicator that directs efforts in developing services and reinforces the commitment to improving the experience of lawyers, based on the department’s belief that continuous development begins with listening to its partners and benefiting from their comments and suggestions.

His Highness the President of the Judicial Council watched a film that dealt with the services provided by the Judicial Department to lawyers, which support them and accompany their work in the stages of their professional career, and the sequence of services such as registration and recording, issuing licenses, and training programs in cooperation with the competent authorities, which contributes to raising their readiness for professional practice, in addition to integrated procedural support in terms of receiving applications, completing them, referring them to the relevant committees, and grievances in a way that enhances transparency and guarantees rights.

Judge Dr. Saeed Bahbouh Al-Naqbi, President of the Courts of Appeal and Chairman of the Committee for Regulating the Affairs of Lawyers and Legal Consultants, affirmed in his speech that the legal profession represents a noble mission and an authentic partner in the justice system, indicating that the regulation regulating the legal profession and legal consultations came to provide an integrated professional framework that regulates the profession from its inception, and establishes a legal environment based on clarity, elevates professional practice, and enhances confidence in legal services.

He explained that the regulations established a unified organization that defines the paths of registration, licensing and professional advancement according to clear standards, including trainee, working and non-practicing lawyers, in addition to regulating registration before the different levels of courts in a manner that takes into account experience and competence. It also specified the institutional roles of the competent administration and the Committee for Regulating the Affairs of Lawyers and Legal Consultants, in a way that enhances the governance of procedures, ensures the stability of professional centers, and improves the efficiency of legal work in the emirate.

The President of the Courts of Appeal called on lawyers, legal advisors and law firm owners to take the initiative to complete the registration and licensing procedures, as a step that reflects joining an integrated professional system based on competence, commitment and responsibility, stressing the importance of continuing communication between the Judicial Department and practitioners of the profession, and benefiting from their opinions and suggestions to develop the legal work environment, which contributes to strengthening partnership, achieving justice and serving society.

The forum witnessed the launch of the digital legal platform, which was designed to manage all lawyers’ work. The visual material reviewed the mechanism of using the platform and benefiting from its services, such as issuing professional cards and managing lawyer offices and branches. The option of an assistant artificial intelligence agent has also been added, which helps the lawyer complete services, manage his account, review documents, calculate fees, and process the entire application through the platform, so that artificial intelligence becomes a partner in legal work.

For her part, Fatima Hassan Al Ali, Director of the Sharjah Foundation for Supporting Entrepreneurial Projects “Ruwad”, during a visual presentation, reviewed the Foundation’s objectives and its role in supporting entrepreneurs and developing small and medium enterprises, and discussed the most prominent services, activities and benefits that “Ruwad” members receive, which include law firm project owners.

Al Ali touched on the financing programmes, their various packages and privileges that give greater opportunities to every person and start-up project, and the various consultations granted to project owners and specialized training programs in various fields, which contribute to completing the pillars of the success of small and medium enterprises.

The forum included an interactive discussion session that brought together an elite group of lawyers and legal advisors, during which they praised the efforts of the Judicial Department in organizing it and the professional platform it provided for dialogue and exchange of opinions. They expressed their aspiration for the forum to achieve its goals in supporting the process of judicial development, leading to an integrated judicial system that enhances work efficiency and raises the quality of judicial services.

The session witnessed the presentation of a number of development proposals and the discussion of the most prominent challenges facing lawyers in practicing the profession, within the framework of a constructive dialogue characterized by transparency and the exchange of views, stressing the importance of continuing communication and listening to the concerned parties, in a way that contributes to developing the legal environment, enhancing the integration of the judicial system, and consolidating justice and the rule of law.

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