A unified digital platform has been launched in the UAE to link federal courts with local courts, through a new project that includes data linkage and litigation affairs.

UAE Minister of Justice, Abdullah Sultan bin Awad said that the project is still underway and will be activated during the last quarter of 2022. He further said that the unified digital judicial system is being developed at the national level through the Judicial Coordination Council and the ministry was preparing to introduce specialised training courses for family counsellors through Judicial Training Institute for family counsellors.
The minister’s comments followed Chairperson of the Federal National Council Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Affairs and Appeals, Aisha Muhammad Al Mulla’s presentation of a report on the challenges faced in the field of family guidance, including the lack of unified professional license requirements for family counsellors, and recommendations to the Federal National Council members. The report further highlighted that at the national level there is a lack of an integrated strategy for family guidance, the absence of a unified policy in providing services by family guidance centres and differences in some family guidance work systems in the courts.

The committee had suggested to develop an integrated strategy regarding families and working towards the unification of policies in relation to the qualification and training of family counsellors, standards for measuring the performance and quality of work of family guidance offices, and work systems in the courts. It further recommended that there was a need to amend Federal Law No. 28 of 2005 which regulates the personal status and the related bylaws and regulations to ensure that such legislation keeps up with social and economic changes and develops family guidance committees and enables it to provide specialised guidance services.

The justice minister noted that he was of the same opinion as to the committee’s report regarding the lack of an integrated strategy for family guidance. But he pointed out that, through the ministry’s Judicial Coordination Council at the national level, the committee’s recommendation to develop a unified integrated strategy regarding family guidance will be adopted only after being discussed by the judicial council.

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