DIFC Courts posts record H1 $4bln in claims value

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The courts recorded a 692% increase in value of cases across all divisions during the first half of 2023 Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts announced on Tuesday a new record with Dh15 billion in claims value in the first six months of 2023.

The courts recorded a 692 per cent increase in value of cases across all divisions during the first half of 2023, compared with the first six months of 2022, with a total value of Dh15 billion across 455 cases filed. In the main Court of First Instance (CFI), 52 cases were filed, with the total value of Dh14.9 billion and an average case value of Dh427.2 million, the DIFC Courts said in a statement. Cases within the Arbitration Division under the CFI also recorded a significant increase in the first six months of 2023, with a total value of Dh12.9 billion and an average claim value of Dh1.6 billion.

Justice Omar Al Mheiri, director, of DIFC Courts, said the surge in uptake of the courts’ public services in the first six months of 2023 reflects the growing awareness of, and trust in, its expertise, efficiency, and ease of process. “Powered by the most cutting-edge digital infrastructure, it is our expectation that more domestic and international businesses will continue to look to the DIFC Courts for future certainty and expedient resolution.”

He said the courts is currently operating on a new roadmap for the years 2022-2024, which includes a strategic work plan that brings more national cohesion to the courts' projects and initiatives in line with the ‘D33’ economic agenda and the Dubai Digital Strategy.

In the first six months of 2023, the Wills Service registered 766 wills, a 37.8 per cent increase in the number of registrations compared with the first six months of 2022, and issued 22 Probate orders. Since its inception, the Wills Service has registered over 9,500 Wills.

Claims brought before the CFI involved companies and business across a wide range of sectors, including banking & finance, real estate, construction, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and maritime, and involving disputes related to breach of contract, outstanding payments, Wills & Probate, and employment. There was also a noticeable number of ‘opt-in’ cases for the first six months of 2023, with 52.5 per cent of claims in the CFI cases originating from parties ‘electing’ to use the DIFC Courts to resolve their disputes.

In 2020, the DIFC Courts leveraged its digital infrastructure to offer videoconferencing for will registrations as a part of the government’s commitment to effectively employ advanced technologies and digital platforms to continue services to the public during Covid-19 restrictions, the courts said.

The courts said the operational capacity of the region’s first Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) was strong in the first six months of 2023, with 242 claims filed, and an overall claim value totalling Dh19.8 million. The average claim value of cases filed at the SCT was Dh85,000.

The DIFC Courts issued 100 per cent of orders and judgements digitally, with over 794 orders in the first six months of 2023, and a further 86 judgements issued for the same period. In addition, 98 per cent of hearings in the CFI were conducted remotely, whilst the SCT and the Court of Appeal recorded 100 per cent remote hearings in the first six months of 2023, said the statement.