New court of first instance

ABU DHABI // The Western Region is to get a court of first instance, after a decree was issued by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and Minister for Presidential Affairs, today. The new court, the Al Dhafra Court of First Instance, will be situated in Madinat Zayed and will act as the headquarters for the Western Region's courts. Courts in the Western Region will be affiliated with the new Al Dhafra headquarters, instead of being administratively associated with the Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance, a statement released by the state news agency, WAM, reported.

The decree comes in response to the larger development plans happening in the Western Region. The new court the statement said "is aimed at assisting in drawing up a better future for that region, and focusing on better servicing its residents". The new decree comes almost a month after a major reform of the capital's court system was introduced, in order to cope with rising global investment in the emirate.

On April 14, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department announced it would create special courts specifically dedicated to contract and construction disputes, medical liability and negligence cases, banking and finance issues, insurance claims and compensation demands. tramahi@thenational.ae