The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) has affirmed that judicial work will continue efficiently amid the current conditions through the constant convening of all judicial hearings at courts virtually.It said operating the remote litigation system ensures the continuous adjudication of cases and electronic issuance of rulings based on the highest standards of organisation and efficiency in judicial procedures.The SJC highlighted in a statement Saturday that it continues to enforce the mechanism for sharing video hearing links via text messages as part of the service of process, enabling litigants and parties to appear at remote hearings at their scheduled times.This is alongside maintaining the orderly conduct of proceedings in accordance with applicable court rules.It also continues the electronic entry of judgments through the court's portal, receiving various applications and requests, and enabling users to submit filings and access judicial services through the courts' electronic filing systems, the statement read.These systems, the SJC said, include the electronic portal, smartphone court application, as well as the "Taqadi" Platform and virtual employee service via WhatsApp.The Council further noted that this fully flexible transition to remote litigation and electronic rulings demonstrates the effectiveness of the litigation system, which had been upgraded throughout the first phase of the National Initiative for the Development of Justice Systems, as part of the digital transformation path and modernisation of judiciary services.Streamlined litigation procedures, the SJC added, accelerate transaction completion and enable litigants to follow up on their requests with flexibility and efficiency, ultimately fostering the quality of services and ensuring the sustainability of judicial performance under a variety of circumstances.As such, Court of Appeal president Judge Sultan al-Dosari said, judicial hearings at the court have continued throughout the current situation, convening remotely while taking into account the circumstances facing parties in various criminal, labour, civil, and family judicial divisions.He said that since March 1, 2026, the court has scrutinised over 409 lawsuits.Investment and Trade Court president Judge Khalid bin Ali al-Obaidly said that the court has expanded the remote communication system during the current period to encompass all appeals chambers as well as trial chambers.The Court continued to carry out its functions at full capacity, ensuring the continued conduct of hearings, exchange of written submissions, and issuance of rulings electronically, al-Obaidly added, noting that since March 1, the Court has considered more than 1,600 cases.Court of First Instance president Judge Ghanem al-Humaidi said that the court has transitioned all its hearings to remote litigation, adding that since March 1, the court held over 149 hearings and scrutinised over 2,524 lawsuits remotely, in addition to receiving requests and services via the SJC's portal and official channels, whose total electronic submissions reached over 8,596 requests and services.The Court of Execution stated that it continues to provide in-person services to the public, in addition to offering a full range of electronic court services.Court of Execution president Dr Ibrahim al-Mohannadi emphasised the Court's commitment to conducting family case enforcement proceedings through the relevant judicial divisions and the Child Custody Office remotely, ensuring that proceedings are carried out without prejudice to the parties.He noted that the Court has heard more than 85 cases remotely.Furthermore, judicial sales continued, alongside the execution of court registry orders, including the collection and disbursement of funds, without prejudice to the rights of the litigants.The total proceeds from judicial sales amounted to QR9,820,100 in favour of 1,841 cases.The SJC indicated that during the first week of March, the number of deposits into the court registry reached 693 totaling QR54,918,602, while the total receipts of funds amounted to 1,863 receipts valued at QR27,889,801, and the number of disbursement vouchers was 1,036, totaling QR15,918,399.The chief judge of the Electronic Justice Team, Khalid al-Mansouri, underlined that digital transformation in litigation procedures, alongside the full SJC infrastructure preparation, has helped ensure remote functioning of hearings without prejudice to the parties.He noted that the courts have undergone a complete transition to remote operations, while continuing to receive filings through electronic court services.In addition, al-Mansouri said, the commercial dispute resolution committees continue to operate via the court system, with the Court of Cassation holding virtual hearings, while decisions and judgments are issued on schedule.In terms of family documentation services, the head of the Family Documentation Department at the Family Court, Judge Dr Khalid al-Roumi, said that all family services are ongoing through electronic systems, in addition to holding remote probate hearings via video link technology, under the SJC's court continuity plan.He pointed out that statistics show that more than 708 applications and services were submitted and processed through the family documentation system, alongside the hearing of more than 138 cases remotely.Dr al-Roumi stressed that all courts are committed to executing the guidance manual for remote court proceedings, which establishes the procedures and standards for the use of video conferencing technology.This, he said, includes the organisation of proceedings before and during hearings, the provision of technical requirements, and the ensuring of recording, information security, and data protection, thereby safeguarding the integrity of judicial procedures and ensuring the continuity of court operations in accordance with the highest standards of efficiency and quality.
