ABU DHABI — The Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi has adopted English as a second language in a number of its commercial court procedures.

Twenty-five new forms in both English and Arabic, including a template for settlement/reconciliation agreements between disputing parties and minutes of the session, will be made available, namely within the conciliation, case management, and expert divisions.

Yousef Saeed Al Abri, the undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said that ADJD has begun the process of adapting bilingual litigation in November 2018 in order to facilitate access to the justice system by removing the language barrier for non-Arabic speakers and simplify procedures for more transparent litigation.

He added that the new forms are paperless and support the remote litigation system and utilize electronic editing features such as dropdown lists and digital signature functions. This is also in line with the precautionary measures towards limiting the spread of COVID-19. — WAM