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His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Monday inaugurated the first edition of the Doha Legal Forum, held under the theme “Emerging Trends and Forward-Looking Insights.” The event, organised by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC), brings together legal and judicial leaders from around the world to explore innovation in law, governance, and dispute resolution.  The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency Ibrahim bin Ali al-Mohannadi, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs; His Excellency Dr Hassan bin Lahdan al-Hassan al-Mohannadi, President of the Court of Cassation and President of the Supreme Judicial Council; Their Excellencies the Ministers of Justice participating in the forum; as well as senior judges, policymakers, and legal scholars. **media[409307]**Over the course of two days, the Doha Legal Forum 2026 will host around 40 speakers representing 13 countries, with a series of plenary sessions and three specialised roundtable discussions.  The agenda covers key issues shaping the future of law, including digital transformation, international arbitration, cross-border trade, the energy sector, and public-private partnership contracts.  Speaking at the opening session, HE Ibrahim bin Ali al-Mohannadi said Qatar had long recognised that sustainable investment depends on a robust and transparent legal system. He noted that the National Initiative for the Development of Justice Systems, launched in 2016, had modernised Qatar’s legal infrastructure through reforms in legislation, judiciary efficiency, and dispute resolution.  The minister explained that updated investment and company laws, improved efficiency in judicial services, and digital transformation had collectively enhanced investor confidence and reduced administrative complexity. These reforms, he said, embody Qatar’s vision of legal innovation and institutional excellence.  Al-Mohannadi added that the Doha Legal Forum reflects Qatar’s commitment to specialised legal dialogue and knowledge exchange. Its discussions, he said, would help reinforce legal security, support sustainable investment, and underscore the central role of justice in economic growth and social progress.  Aligning with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024–2030, the forum provides a platform for advancing international cooperation and promoting law as a bridge for prosperity and mutual confidence in an era of global transformation.

The courts in Qatar achieved a notable judicial milestone in 2025, recording a case resolution rate of 98%, according to data issued by the Supreme Judicial Council.The Council explained that the total number of cases registered during the year reached 207,485, the vast majority of which were adjudicated, indicating the efficiency of the judicial system and the speed of case resolution.The Criminal Court recorded the highest resolution rate at 99%, having handled 171,213 cases, followed by the Court of Cassation 7,058 cases with a rate of 97%. The Investment and Commercial Court had 13,356 cases, and the Family Courts had 6,773, with each achieving a resolution rate of 95%. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, which saw 3,746 cases, recorded a resolution rate of 93%, and the Civil Court, which handled 5,339 cases, recorded a 92% resolution rate. 

The Public Prosecution’s Criminal Studies Institute has announced that it provided training to 1,863 participants in 2025 through a range of courses spanning judicial, legal and administrative disciplines. The number also included training visits from Arab and international judicial and academic bodies, as well as participation in seminars organised by the Institute in 2025.QNA reported that the Institute organised 25 training courses for judicial officers last year, with 975 trainees participating; 12 refresher courses for members of the Public Prosecution, with 181 trainees participating; and two qualification courses for assistant prosecutors, with 20 trainees participating. It also organised five training visits and exchanges of experience for delegations from the Public Prosecution offices in Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, Syria, Kazakhstan, and the Palestinian Judicial Police, in addition to training visits for 51 participants and an external training programme for university students, which included 15 students. The Institute also held four legal seminars, attended by 154 people, in addition to two courses (regional and international) for 103 trainees, and 22 administrative and specialised courses, attended by 364 trainees. It is responsible for training members of the Public Prosecution, their assistants, and other parties concerned to develop their scientific and practical capabilities and skills.The Institute prepares and implements specialised training programmes for members of the Public Prosecution and other affiliates of various state entities, prepares and qualifies assistant prosecutors for judicial work, and co-operates with similar institutes within and outside the country in all areas that achieve its goals. It also holds seminars and scientific meetings and participates in conferences and seminars related to the institute’s goals, both within and outside the country. 

The Legal and Judicial Studies Center at the Ministry of Justice announced the launch of its Specialised Legal Training Plan for 2026, which encompasses the general track for continuous professional development, in addition to specialised legal training programmes tailored to various legal professions across the State.The programme aims to keep legal professionals abreast of legislative, judicial, and jurisprudential developments, while enhancing their skills in legal drafting and writing. This initiative seeks to develop the legal competencies of national cadres, strengthen institutional performance, and improve the quality of government services, in support of building national capacities capable of contributing to the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030.Some 110 legal professionals are expected to benefit from the 2026 legal qualification programmes, including 94 participants enrolled in the twenty-third Legal Professionals Qualification Programme, and 16 trainees enrolled in the sixteenth Mandatory Training Programme for trainee lawyers.The programme's executive plan includes 118 specialised training courses, distributed across the programme's annual timeline at an average of eight courses per month. Legal trainees have been divided into four training groups, each receiving theoretical and practical instruction designed to equip them with the skills necessary to engage effectively and proactively with societal needs.On this occasion, the Legal and Judicial Studies Center Saturday organized an introductory meeting for all participants in the two training programmes, including legal professionals and trainee lawyers.During the meeting, Director of the Legal and Judicial Studies Center at the Ministry of Justice, Dr Abdullah Hamad al-Khalidi outlined the ministry's vision to prepare and qualify Qatari legal and judicial cadres to the highest standards of competence and professional excellence. He also highlighted the ministry's mission to train legal professionals by developing and updating their scientific and practical skills, and to prepare qualified candidates for appointment to the judiciary, the Public Prosecution, and various legal sectors.Dr al-Khalidi also delivered a comprehensive briefing to trainees on the programme's training tracks and objectives, which aim to equip participants with the scientific and practical expertise required to perform their legal duties with quality and efficiency. This, in turn, contributes to increased productivity and enables institutions to meet their legal needs. The briefing also emphasised the transfer of new knowledge and skills to enhance individual performance within their respective organisations, including the use of emerging technologies supported by artificial intelligence tools in the legal field.Participants further attended a detailed presentation outlining the general obligations to be observed during lectures, requirements for participation in workshops, practical applications, and field visits, as well as compliance and adherence requirements in accordance with the rules.The participants were also briefed on the attendance and leave system throughout the training period, the evaluation mechanism, and the assessment criteria upon which trainees are evaluated in line with approved standards and regulations, in addition to the rewards system granted to top-performing participants upon completion of the programme.Dr al-Khalidi emphasised the importance of the training programme in enhancing training outcomes and elevating the quality of the training curriculum, in a manner that aligns with national development priorities and with the Ministry of Justice's Strategic Plan 2025-2030, which underscores that development is founded on human capital, particularly those working within government institutions.OPT TRIMThe year 2025 witnessed a remarkable leap in legal training across various tracks and legal categories within different government entities. A total of 2,472 legal professionals were trained during the year through a range of programmes and training courses. According to official data published on the Ministry of Justice's website regarding its achievements in the past year, the number of training courses in 2025 increased by 14.6 %, while the number of beneficiaries of specialised and mandatory training programmes rose by approximately 24.78 %. Additionally, 77 legal awareness workshops were organised, marking an increase of 250% compared to the number of workshops conducted in 2024.Furthermore, new and diverse programmes and initiatives were introduced to broaden the segments of society reached by legal awareness efforts. Legal awareness video content achieved unprecedented levels of viewership and engagement, underscoring the importance of the educational and awareness-raising role of the legal programmes and activities implemented by the Legal and Judicial Studies Center at the Ministry of Justice. 

Brazil’s central bank is facing extraordinary scrutiny over its decision to liquidate Banco Master SA, a rare instance of judicial intervention that risks undermining the legal certainty of its regulatory decisions.Both the country’s Supreme Court and Audit Court are seeking details about the move, with the regulator facing a looming deadline to provide information. The liquidation followed months of investigations into Banco Master’s operations and its politically connected Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Vorcaro, who spent about a month in jail before being released with an ankle monitor.The central bank found evidence suggesting attempted fraud in the proposed sale of Master to Banco de Brasilia SA, an institution owned by the Federal District government. The findings were forwarded to the federal police and the federal public prosecutor’s office, which sought the arrest of Vorcaro and other executives on November 17.It is the first time a decision falling under the central bank’s exclusive jurisdiction has come under scrutiny by Brazil’s highest courts, underscoring the challenges policymakers face in navigating Brasilia’s web of political connections — terrain that Vorcaro has long been adept at exploiting.The central bank didn’t respond to a request for comment.Vorcaro is facing allegations that his bank fabricated credit operations that were later sold to Banco de Brasilia. His lawyers argue that the portfolios targeted by investigators were never effectively transferred and that Banco de Brasilia instead purchased other portfolios not included in the probe.In early December, Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli moved to take control of the investigation after a defence lawyer argued that police actions could affect individuals with parliamentary immunity. Among documents seized during a search of Vorcaro’s home was paperwork related to a real estate transaction involving a federal lawmaker. Although unrelated to the Master investigation, Toffoli ruled the document sufficient to require that “any legal action be evaluated beforehand by this court rather than by a lower court.”Over Christmas, Toffoli scheduled a confrontation hearing for December 30 between Vorcaro; former Banco de Brasilia chief Paulo Henrique Costa, who was fired after the investigation became public; and central bank supervision director Ailton de Aquino.The hearing was scheduled without any request from either the federal police or the public prosecutor’s office. The attorney general’s office advised against it, arguing that such a procedure should only take place after those involved in the probe have been questioned individually.Toffoli has offered no further explanation for summoning Aquino, whose role at the central bank is supervision —not decision-making regarding the sale of Master to Banco de Brasilia. Central bank President Gabriel Galipolo has said he is willing to appear before the Supreme Court to explain the regulator’s actions.“As president, I am available to the Supreme Court to provide all the data that we have already provided to the public prosecutor’s office and the federal police. We have documented everything: Each of the actions taken, each of the meetings, exchanges of messages, communications, all of this is duly documented. I, in particular, am available to provide all kinds of support and assistance to the investigation,” he said on December 18 in a presser.On the same day, Audit Court Minister Jhonatan de Jesus opened a separate investigation into the central bank, citing potential failures in its supervision of Master. According to his ruling, the regulator’s actions “may have been marked by omissions and insufficiently timely responses to signs of the institution’s financial deterioration, undermining the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and increasing systemic risk.”Critics have long argued that the central bank took too long to liquidate a lender that was clearly in distress. As with the Supreme Court inquiry, the audit court investigation is under seal.Once touted as a rising star in Brazilian finance, Master attracted billions of reais from retail investors through investment platforms, promoting its bonds as safe because they were backed by Brazil’s deposit insurance system, the Credit Guarantee Fund, or FGC. The fund covers up to 250,000 reais per investor, capped at 1mn reais over four years.A central bank rule change in December 2023 tightened access to the FGC, punching a hole in Master’s business model. A second rule change, approved in August, will require banks to contribute to the fund based on their risk profile starting in June 2026.The liquidation of Master could cost the FGC as much as 55bn reais ($10bn) if other smaller banks also fail, according to a person familiar with the matter. The fund would need to be replenished by Brazil’s largest banks. 

The US Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, officials told Reuters Sunday, in what would be the second such operation this weekend ⁠and the third in less than ⁠a week if successful."The United States Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion," a US official said. "It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order."Another official said the tanker was under sanctions, but added that it had not been boarded so far and that interceptions can take different forms – including sailing or flying close to vessels of concern.The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not give a specific location for the operation or name the vessel being pursued.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Last week US President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving ⁠Venezuela.Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.At least 100 people have been killed in the attacks.The first two oil tankers seized were operating on the black market and providing oil to countries under sanctions, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council, said in a TV interview Sunday."And so I don't think that people need to be worried here in the US that the prices are going to go up because of these seizures of these ships," Hassett said on CBS's *Face the Nation programme. "There's just a couple of them, and they were black market ships."However, one oil trader told Reuters that the seizures may ⁠push oil prices slightly higher when Asian trading resumes today."We might see prices increasing modestly at the opening, considering market participants could see this as an escalation with more Venezuelan barrels at risk as the tanker was not on a US sanctions list," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.Another analyst said the seizures raise geopolitical risks and are likely to raise friction in the shadow fleet of vessels that move oil from sanctioned countries like Venezuela, Russia and Iran.The seizures could legitimise and encourage Ukraine to continue attacking Russian vessels and possibly encourage Europe to detain Moscow-linked dark fleet vessels as well, said Matias Togni, oil shipping analyst at NextBarrel.Venezuelan and Iranian oil output is already showing signs of slowing, Togni said, adding that he expects the same to happen with Russia.Oil from countries under sanctions is likely to be offered at steeper discounts as logistics become more expensive, which could help cap the gains in benchmark ⁠oil prices, he said.After the second US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela, Caracas deemed it a "theft and kidnapping", saying that "those responsible for these serious events will answer to justice and to history for their criminal conduct”.That vessel, Centuries, is a Chinese-owned, Panama-flagged oil tanker, according to TankerTrackers, an online service monitoring oil shipments and storage.It said that Centuries loaded 1.8mn barrels of crude oil at a Venezuelan port earlier this month before being escorted out of Venezuela's exclusive economic zone on December 18.The VesselFinder database also listed the ship's last recorded location as off the Venezuelan coast.An AFP review found that Centuries does not appear on the US Treasury Department's list of sanctioned companies and individuals.On December 10, US forces seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, which the attorney-general said was involved in carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran. 

The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) confirmed that employees are not required to submit any paper certificate to prove marriage in order to receive the annual marriage and marital status incentive. The electronic link with the Supreme Judicial Council is already in place and automatically verifies marriage data, eliminating the need for any paper documents.In a post on its X platform, the Bureau indicated that it continuously utilizes this electronic link to automate processes and streamline procedures for employees. The Bureau noted that entities not using the "Mawared" system can contact the Supreme Judicial Council directly to complete the technical link and verify employee data.It reiterated that employees are not required to submit any paper documents related to marital status and that electronic verification via the approved link on the government data exchange platform is sufficient. If marital status data appears outdated, the employee can be instructed to update it with the Supreme Judicial Council to ensure verification through the electronic link.The new amendments to the Human Resources Law included several benefits that promote work flexibility and support employees' family lives. Among the most prominent is the granting of an annual marriage incentive of 12,000 Qatari Riyals to married Qatari employees, effective January of each year, provided that one year has passed since the date of marriage and both spouses are Qatari citizens. Additionally, both spouses will now receive the social allowance at the "married" rate, whereas previously one spouse received the "married" allowance while the other received the "single" allowance. 

A court decision to remove three children from their Anglo-Australian family's home in the woods has become a political flashpoint in Italy, where there is wider debate over alleged judicial overreach.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — leader of a hard-right government that champions family values — is reportedly concerned about the case near Chieti, in the eastern Abruzzo region, where the family has been living off-grid since 2021.On Thursday, the juvenile court of nearby Aquila suspended the couple's parental responsibility and ordered the transfer of the children to a protective home with their mother.The court cited poor sanitary conditions at the home, and the unauthorised homeschooling of the couple's eight-year-old girl and six-year-old twin boys.The decision prompted a wave of verbal attacks and threats online against the judge, while a petition to "save the family that lives in the woods" has gathered over 135,000 signatures.Italy's deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right League party, Matteo Salvini, has called the judge's actions "unworthy, worrying, dangerous and shameful", describing it as a "kidnapping" of the minors."Judges and social workers in Abruzzo, don't be a nuisance," he said, pointing to a need for judicial reform.Defending their lifestyle as one "without stress" and in harmony with nature, Australian Catherine Birmingham and Briton Nathan Trevallion told national broadcaster Rai this month that their children were "growing up better" in their home in the woods.A tour of the home given to Rai showed a wood-burning stove in a kitchen, colourful children's beds covered with stuffed animals, and Christmas lights strewn about the home.Electricity is provided from solar panels, while the toilet is compostable and located in a shack outside, where a donkey, horse, dogs, cats, chickens and ducks roam a clearing among the trees."The children are happy, healthy. We haven't done anything wrong if we want to return to nature," Birmingham told Rai in halting Italian.But local media has reported that the children are not vaccinated and do not go to school, with the parents having failed to submit their request for homeschooling to local authorities.Monday afternoon, the education ministry issued a press release saying the region's education office had confirmed that "compulsory schooling has been regularly completed through home education" legal in Italy, according to news agencies.Social workers were called last year after one of the couple's children ingested poisonous mushrooms and was taken to hospital, reports said.The power of judges has generated public debate in Italy, as Meloni's flagship justice reform — which includes separating the careers of judges and prosecutors — heads for a referendum next year.Judges have decried interference by the government, saying the reform will curb their independence, while the government accuses the judiciary of political bias.Magistrates associations have defended the Aquila court's decision to remove the children and slammed what they called exploitation of the case for political purposes."We reject any form of exploitation expressed in recent days by some political factions and the media, which fail to consider the complexity and sensitivity of the rights in question," said the Italian Association of Magistrates for Minors and for the Family.In a press release, it noted that the court's decision came after a year-long observation period "during which the court's orders were systematically disregarded by the parents".Monday, the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM), which is tasked with judicial independence and disciplinary matters, opened a procedure to protect the magistrates in question.It said recent statements from politicians "go beyond legitimate criticism of a judicial act and end up directly affecting the work of the magistrates of the Juvenile Court, exposing them to undue pressure, including through the media".A lawyer for the British father and Australian mother, Giovanni Angelucci, did not respond to requests for comment by AFP.The British embassy said it was providing consular assistance but would not comment further.

Massacres of Alawite minority marked worst bloodshed since Assad was toppled in DecemberNearly 1,500 Alawites killed in March, Reuters investigation foundFormer rebel leader, now president Sharaa has promised accountability over violenceSyria Tuesday began the first trial of suspects in a wave of bloodshed in March during which pro-government fighters killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority - a case seen as a test of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's promise of accountability.Judicial sources said the group of a dozen defendants was evenly split between people alleged to have taken part in attacks on Alawite communities, and others accused of taking part in attacks on government forces by militias loyal to ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, which sparked the violence.The bloodshed marked one of the worst eruptions of violence since rebels led by Sharaa toppled Assad, in December, ending 54 years of autocratic rule by the Assad family. The defendants went on trial in a public session at the Aleppo Court of Justice in northern Syria.The judicial sources said they faced charges that included fomenting civil war, secession, premeditated murder and looting. Defendants from both sides were questioned on charges of killing civilians and forming militias that carried out attacks on army checkpoints and government installations, according to a source in court and a televised broadcast of the proceedings.The prosecutor general has pressed charges against around 300 people linked to armed factions affiliated with the army, and around 265 who belonged to Assad-era paramilitary groups, Jumaa al-Anzi, head of a fact-finding committee appointed by Sharaa, said in comments carried by Syrian media reports of the trial. It is unclear how many are currently in detention.A Reuters investigation published in June found that Syrian forces killed nearly 1,500 Syrian Alawites from March 7 to 9. The attacks came in response to a day-old rebellion organised by former officers loyal to Assad that left 200 members of the security forces, according to the government. A Syrian government fact-finding committee reported in July that 1,426 people had died in March in attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawites.COMMITMENT TO ACCOUNTABILITYOfficials say the authorities are committed to accountability in a new era that ends a dark phase of secretive authoritarian rule, noting it was previously unheard of in Syria to put members of the security forces on trial for crimes. Anti-government activists and Alawite lobbyists say the process is not independent and amounts to a sham by the authorities.UN investigators said in August that war crimes were probably committed by interim government forces as well as by fighters loyal to Syria's former rulers during the violence. Sharaa denounced the violence as a threat to his mission to unite Syria and pledged to hold those responsible to account.A senior Justice Ministry official said the trials mark the start of a long process that would also hold to account those responsible for atrocities during the Assad family’s long rule. “The trials won’t stop at the coastal violations. They will continue to include the leading criminals who perpetrated crimes and mass killings in past years,” Deputy Minister of Justice Mustafa al-Qassem told state media.

The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) has participated in the recent 6th full meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC), held in New Delhi, India.The gathering brought together high-level delegations representing about 68 commercial courts from around the world, including chief justices, presidents of judicial councils, and senior judges.This strong international presence reflects the increasingly important role of commercial courts in strengthening confidence in the rule of law and building stable, attractive legal and economic environments that support global investment.Faisal Rashid al-Sahouti, QICDRC chief executive officer highlighted the key role played by it in supporting international judicial co-operation and advancing commercial justice systems.SIFoCC serves as a leading platform for the exchange of expertise and best practices, and for strengthening collaboration among commercial courts worldwide — an effort that facilitates cross-border trade and enhances the efficiency and integrity of international judicial processes, according to him.The meeting’s sessions covered a wide range of pressing topics, including advancing international judicial convergence through the development of shared standards and practices to support the recognition and enforcement of commercial judgments across borders.Discussions also explored the implementation of arbitration and mediation awards, as well as practical mechanisms for document exchange and witness hearings between different judicial systems.Participants examined issues relating to corporate legal responsibility in light of global challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and the expansion of private finance, and the implications of these developments for commercial law.In addition, the sessions addressed the use of artificial intelligence within judicial systems, underlining the importance of establishing clear ethical frameworks to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the principles of fair trial.QICDRC had hosted the 5th full meeting of SIFoCC in Doha in April 2024, continuing Qatar’s efforts to strengthen international judicial co-operation and promote professional dialogue among commercial courts.That meeting underscored Qatar’s position as a leading centre for commercial justice and a hub for the resolution of international business disputes.Established in 2017 as a global judicial initiative, SIFoCC provides a unique platform for collaboration between commercial courts from diverse legal systems.With 68 member courts worldwide, the forum works to promote professional cooperation, exchange judicial expertise, and develop practical mechanisms for resolving cross-border commercial disputes — contributing to greater stability in global commerce and enhancing confidence in the legal frameworks that underpin the world economy.

The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) has participated in the recent 6th full meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC), held in New Delhi, India.The gathering brought together high-level delegations representing about 68 commercial courts from around the world, including chief justices, presidents of judicial councils, and senior judges.This strong international presence reflects the increasingly important role of commercial courts in strengthening confidence in the rule of law and building stable, attractive legal and economic environments that support global investment.Faisal Rashid al-Sahouti, QICDRC chief executive officer highlighted the key role played by it in supporting international judicial co-operation and advancing commercial justice systems.SIFoCC serves as a leading platform for the exchange of expertise and best practices, and for strengthening collaboration among commercial courts worldwide — an effort that facilitates cross-border trade and enhances the efficiency and integrity of international judicial processes, according to him.The meeting’s sessions covered a wide range of pressing topics, including advancing international judicial convergence through the development of shared standards and practices to support the recognition and enforcement of commercial judgments across borders.Discussions also explored the implementation of arbitration and mediation awards, as well as practical mechanisms for document exchange and witness hearings between different judicial systems.Participants examined issues relating to corporate legal responsibility in light of global challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and the expansion of private finance, and the implications of these developments for commercial law.In addition, the sessions addressed the use of artificial intelligence within judicial systems, underlining the importance of establishing clear ethical frameworks to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the principles of fair trial.QICDRC had hosted the 5th full meeting of SIFoCC in Doha in April 2024, continuing Qatar’s efforts to strengthen international judicial co-operation and promote professional dialogue among commercial courts.That meeting underscored Qatar’s position as a leading centre for commercial justice and a hub for the resolution of international business disputes.Established in 2017 as a global judicial initiative, SIFoCC provides a unique platform for collaboration between commercial courts from diverse legal systems.With 68 member courts worldwide, the forum works to promote professional cooperation, exchange judicial expertise, and develop practical mechanisms for resolving cross-border commercial disputes — contributing to greater stability in global commerce and enhancing confidence in the legal frameworks that underpin the world economy.

A new batch of experts took the legal oath this morning at the Ministry of Justice to be registered in the Ministry of Justice's roster of experts accredited before the judicial authorities in the country, in accordance with the regulations stipulated in Law No. (16) of 2017 regulating expert work. The new batch includes (12) experts from national cadres, with expertise in various specializations, including accounting, real estate, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mining engineering, civil engineering, and human resources. On this occasion, Director of the Experts Department at the Ministry of Justice, Abdullah Abu Shahab Al Marri congratulated the new experts on their taking of the legal oath. He emphasized the importance of the role of experts as assistants to judges and one of the pillars of achieving prompt justice, based on their legal responsibility to present evidence and proof regarding the technical aspects related to various cases, and the role expert reports play in expediting the issuance of judgments and the adjudication of cases. The Director of the Experts Department at the Ministry of Justice noted that the Ministry of Justice, upon the directives of His Excellency Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, is keen to strengthen the national cadre of experts and provide expertise that keeps pace with the comprehensive renaissance witnessed by the country in all fields, and to create the appropriate conditions for providing an integrated Qatari expertise system and adding new areas of expertise according to the needs of the judicial authorities and other entities.