Judicial Inspection Office completes evaluation of Sharia court rulings

Manama : Judge Abdulrahman Al Sayed Mohammed Al Mualla, Undersecretary of the Court of Cassation and Head of the Judicial Inspection Office, emphasised that as part of implementing the judicial work quality standards adopted by the Supreme Judicial Council, the directorate has completed its evaluation of the Sharia courts.

He noted that the directorate reviewed more than 1,000 rulings across the various Sharia courts, with over 80% of them upheld by the Courts of Appeal.

Judge Al Mualla added that the preparation of judicial performance quality assessment reports is based on measuring the legal and administrative capacities of judges, along with the quantitative and timeliness aspects of case resolution, including the rate at which rulings are upheld. The process also identifies training needs to further develop judicial performance, in coordination with the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute.

This comes within the framework of the judicial development programme, which is centred on initiatives to enhance access to justice. Specialised evaluation tracks have been established to measure the quality of judicial work, with standards tailored to each area, including civil, commercial, labour, Sharia, criminal, bankruptcy, dissolution and liquidation, urgent cases, enforcement, penal enforcement, and Sharia procedures.

Judge Al Mualla also highlighted the introduction of an open electronic system for submitting complaints to the Judicial Inspection Directorate through the Supreme Judicial Council’s website, as part of efforts to enhance communication with litigants.