Dubai Courts reveal 7% increase in total number of cases filed in the Commercial Court of First Instance in 2014

UAE, March 28, 2015 - The Dubai Courts Annual Report has shown that the total number of commercial cases filed in the Commercial Court of First Instance in 2014 increased by seven per cent as compared to the total number of cases filed in 2013. The report reveals that a total number of 2,368 cases were filed in 2014 while 2,224 cases were filed in 2013. The new cases constituted 64 per cent of 3,681 cases in 2014, while 36 per cent of them, which amount 1313 cases, were carried forward from 2013. The annual report also mentioned that 2,563 cases were disposed of in 2014 as compared to 2,597 in 2013. In contrast, 1292 cases, which amount to 30 per cent, were carried forward to 2015.

His Excellency (H.E.) Expert Tarish Eid Al Mansouri, Director General, Dubai Courts, said that the annual report is an important tool needed in measuring and improving the performance of the judiciary system. He particularly noted that the recorded rate of disposition of full commercial cases in the past year represents strong emphasis on the success of Dubai Courts in facilitating services to customers and litigation procedures based on best practices that ensure public satisfaction and happiness.

Al Mansouri added, “We are fully committed in enhancing and promoting the performance of the Commercial Court of First Instance via the acceleration of dispositions of both full and summary commercial cases. This move reflects our continuing efforts to develop the judicial system while also reinforcing our leading position in the global judicial map, which falls in line with the vision of His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.”

According to the annual report, in terms of disposition overall time, Dubai Courts was able to dispose of 24 per cent of the total commercial cases in less than three months in 2014 and 33 per cent of them were disposed of from four to six months. The percentage of cases that were disposed of from seven to nine months was 18 per cent while 10 per cent were disposed of from 10-12 months. The rate of cases that exceeded 12 months reached 15 per cent.

Meanwhile, the average of disposition of full commercial cases reached 108 per cent in 2014, with 2,563 of 2,368 cases registered in 2014 with an average of 214 judgments passed down per month. Lastly, the Commercial Court of First Instance achieved positive results in terms of the time of judgment in full commercial cases, which amounted to 262 days in 2014, as compared to 341 days in 2013. Judgment duration as of first hearings recorded a significant decrease-- amounting to 236 days in 2014 as compared to 306 days in 2013.