Justice Minister pledges court modernization, lawyer support

25/08/2025

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 25: Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait confirmed that the country has entered a new phase of reform, and that “shortcomings will be addressed, not overlooked.” He said his ministry has been given the green light to move forward with a comprehensive development project that will put Kuwait at the forefront of countries in terms of the legal field. A l - S u m a i t made the statement in a meeting at the Kuwait Lawyers Society on Monday, with dozens of professionals in attendance. He added, “I always emphasize that there is a main triangle for reform consisting of the Public Prosecution, the judiciary, and Kuwait Lawyers Society, and no reform can be completed without activating this integration. All laws being reviewed now should ease people’s lives, not complicate them.”

He pointed out that lawyers face difficulties, asserting that the complex procedures in some courts make practicing the profession a daily challenge. He gave an example, stating that “in the Farwaniya Courts Complex and elsewhere, there is overcrowding and slowness, and in Hawally courts, some lawyers are assigned to complete one or two transactions. This is an unsuitable work environment. We must change it.” He stressed that the protocol signed with Kuwait Lawyers Society is not just formal, as it is a roadmap for cooperation, disclosing that the association has been actively involved in three committees reviewing laws, and that no new draft law will be proposed in the future without the participation of the Society.

He asserted “lawyers are our partners in uncovering legislative and regulatory loopholes, and the legacy of outdated legislation they bear must be addressed with modern amendments that keep pace with developments and benefit from the experiences of our brothers in the Gulf.” He revealed that the ministry has begun the first contract with Microsoft for digital transformation, stressing “the electronic transformation is progressing as planned despite some technical issues that we are working hard to resolve.” He also announced a comprehensive review of all laws, article by article, and a review of the working mechanism of the complaints committee at the Public Prosecution, indicating that the number of cases in the prosecution has tripled within three years.

He affirmed “we support the abolition of the detention of lawyers, such that their detention should not continue for more than 24 hours. This is a basic requirement that must be met.” He added that the more than one million cases heard by the courts annually is a huge number, which requires a review of court fees to sort out serious cases from nonserious ones. He explained that if it turns out that the rate of reluctance to take up cases after the fees are imposed exceeds 40 percent, the law will be amended again.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff