Kuwait's Justice Minister hails law reform milestone

Kuwait's Justice Minister Nasser Al-Sumait launches initiative to reform Kuwait’s criminal trials law.

This achievement was made possible through the combined efforts of various governmental, judicial, and legal bodies. The third phase will add approximately 150 laws to those already completed, with a focus on reviewing legislation that has a direct impact on economic, criminal, and social aspects. The amendments will include the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedures and Trials Law, the Personal Status Law, the Family Court Law, laws related to the protection of children and families, as well as the Real Estate Registration Law and the private sector labor law.

Meanwhile, Minister Al-Sumait explained that the total number of cases before the courts decreased from 534,226 to 422,713, a decline of 20.88 percent. Cases before the Court of Cassation decreased by 45.31 percent, while criminal cases before the Court of First Instance fell by 27 percent, reflecting the impact of updated legislation and improved judicial procedures. Al-Sumait revealed that amending the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law by raising the minimum amount of money subject to appeal from KD 1,000 to KD 2,000 contributed to a 27.1 percent decrease in partial appeal cases. He added that amending the system of payment orders led to a 39.9 percent decrease in such cases, after enabling the court to rule directly on the merits of the dispute when considering appeals.