To enhance access to justice and cope with delays caused by COVID-19, Kuwait installed a video teleconferencing system in its Central Prison in April 2022 to conduct court proceedings in virtual courtrooms.
The Kuwaiti Supreme Judicial Council stressed the importance of expediting court proceedings and the necessity of holding sessions to decide unpostponable cases, such as those related to family matters.
Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice for Information Technology Hashim al-Qallaf noted that the judiciary has televised and digitalized many services to serve justice and facilitate court proceedings for litigants.
The changes affected more than just the Central Prison and the courtrooms of the Palace of Justice. “A few days ago, the service of paying bail online, electronic filings of initial pleadings and electronic announcements were launched,” the undersecretary said.
COVID-19 — whose quarantine requirements caused delays in judicial proceedings — provided the spark for adopting remote technology in the court system.
Kuwait’s legal system consists of a mixture of English common law, French civil law, Egyptian civil law and Islamic law. The country ranks among the world’s wealthiest and boasts a low crime rate. Sources: Al-Anba, Al-Jarida