KUWAIT TO COMPLETE KUWAITIZATION AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

He indicated that this number will increase to 92 percent by Sept 30, 2027, based on an annual replacement rate of 15 percent. “I affirm that we will achieve full Kuwaitization of the judiciary ahead of schedule. By Sept 30, 2030, the judiciary will be 100 percent Kuwaitis,” he asserted. He stressed that Kuwaitizing the judiciary is “a matter of sovereignty and a directive from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We will not accept anything less than a 100 percent national judiciary.” He pointed out that the members of the judiciary have the full capability to manage the judicial system in an efficient and competent manner.

He stated that everyone is aware of His Highness the Amir’s interest in the judicial system, while focusing on national security. He asserted that the selection of applicants for public prosecution positions must be based on the principle of equal opportunity. “Today, all applicants have an equal opportunity. No one is given an advantage, as everyone must meet the criteria,” he clarified. He said the Public Prosecution serves as the primary pipeline for the judiciary, such that the ministry puts great importance on the applicant selection process.

He disclosed that applicants are now informed about the results immediately after completing the test, rather than waiting for one month as the case previously, stressing that the most important aspect is for every applicant to feel they have an equal chance. Regarding the development of the judicial system, Al-Sumait confirmed that the ministry is addressing problems from the roots, along with the legislative updates, up to the trial stage. He added that the laws and measures implemented greatly contributed to the reduction of caseloads, considering 111,000 cases have been cleared from the courts and that crime rates generally declined as a result of addressing various procedural loopholes. He cited as an example the amendments to the ‘payment order’ procedure, stating that two legislative changes contributed to the 36 percent reduction in the number of cases in courts.

He added that this approach could be applied to numerous other areas. He explained that part of the backlog of court cases stems from a legislative flaw that the ministry is working hard to rectify by updating the legal system. He pointed out that addressing a single legislative loophole led to 92 percent drop in crimes involving assault of public officials—a result that underscores the importance of fixing the underlying legislative flaw rather than just dealing with its consequences. He added that the number of cases is inflated despite the high ratio of judges to the population, confirming a systemic issue that the ministry continues to address.

He revealed that the Commercial Arbitration Law, Notarization Law, and Law Regulating the Legal Profession are among the laws expected to be finalized before the end of the year. He indicated that the law regulating the legal profession will introduce a new and comprehensive regulatory framework for the profession, featuring major reforms similar to those implemented as per the law on regulating the judiciary. He said the law entails a complete restructuring of the legal profession regarding organization and regulations, asserting “it will be very different and the law will be exceptional.” He also mentioned that the ministry is working diligently to finalize the Tenancy Law within the current year. He stated that the ministry is now focusing on laws related to the social, penal and economic systems. He revealed that the ministry is nearing completion of the Penal Code, which will constitute an “entirely new framework” addressing crimes in Kuwait and alternative sentencing.

He pointed out that the legislation incorporates highly advanced concepts aligned with the nature of the Kuwaiti society and criminalizes certain dangerous acts that emerged recently, but were not classified as crimes. He indicated that juvenile and child protection laws are in the pipeline, while the Personal Status Law remains in the stage of gathering feedback. He said the ministry will establish more structured mechanisms for family law cases—including the determination of maintenance payments—to prevent significant disparities in how child support is assessed from one case to another. He confirmed the introduction of ‘coercive fines’ in family cases to curb certain actions and behaviors that emerged under the previous legal framework.

He mentioned the development of the electronic vision system throughout the week, in addition to addressing the issue of overnight stays, in a way that suits the nature of Kuwaiti society, revealing that work is underway for the family protection program, the details of which will be announced next month. He said the program includes restructuring all procedures in this field, as well as complete training for cadres, indicating that some of the workers in this field need further qualification. He added that the program will include organizing the work of the ‘Sharia Official’ by setting regulatory requirements and a mandatory course for those planning to get married, so that this course will be a condition for completing the marriage contract, similar to the marriage examination.

He indicated that the agency procedures will be electronic, with translation available and the possibility of conducting the agency and having it certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as adding personal photos to it through the electronic application. He went on to say that it will be possible to cancel agencies electronically through the application, within the framework of completing the digital transformation of the Ministry of Justice services, revealing that work is currently being done on the real estate registry project in cooperation with Microsoft to create an integrated electronic system, expected to be ready by the end of 2027. He added that the first integrated electronic judicial system will be the family judiciary, in line with the process of modernizing the judicial and electronic system. Regarding the process of modernizing legislation, he said the laws that were issued in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s have a strong foundation, stressing that the amendments made to them were good.