Officials from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department recently undertook a three-day study tour to Singapore’s Subordinate and Supreme Courts as part of their continuing efforts to modernise the emirate’s court system and facilities.

Its purpose was to closely examine Singapore’s court system, which is internationally renowned for efficiency, customer service, utilisation of IT, and judicial facilities.

'Singapore has managed to cultivate a world-class legal environment that is business-friendly and conducive to economic growth. The courts offer a variety of alternative dispute resolution services, use advanced IT systems to increase efficiency and transparency, and make important information about the courts easily accessible to the public. We are striving to integrate these elements into the Judicial Department as we continue our modernisation efforts. Singapore’s courts have proved to be a global leader in these areas, and we are thankful for the opportunity to learn from their successes,' said Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Under-Secretary Sultan Al Badi.

On the first day, Singaporean judicial and court administration officials briefed the delegation on their experience in modernisation efforts and focused particularly on achieving organisational and business excellence. They discussed a number of initiatives at the Singapore Courts, including human resource development and training, and the 'Singapore Quality Award' framework - created to help organisations achieve the highest management and service standards.

The delegation also saw first-hand Singapore’s advanced case management and other technology systems for possible applications in Abu Dhabi and the design of the new headquarters building. Noted throughout the world for their innovative use of technology, the Singapore courts have advanced electronic filing systems, on-line dispute resolution capabilities, and sophisticated case management systems.

The visitors also discussed best practices, successes, and strategies across multi-disciplinary areas including court modernisation, access to justice, adjudicating commercial cases, training of judges and administrators, and alternative dispute resolution.

The Judicial Department chose to conduct a study tour to Singapore because of its reputation for excellence as well as its economical similarities to Abu Dhabi.

Information gleaned from the study tour will help the department in establishing a world-class commercial court with specialised mediation and adjudication capabilities to efficiently and effectively resolve commercial disputes. 

Architects, engineers, and project management professionals contracted to build the new Judicial Department headquarters have participated in the trip. The study tour is part of a broader effort by the Government of Abu Dhabi to build a streamlined, efficient and technologically-advanced legal system. – TradeArabia News Service