Community Service

Of all the industries that are most critical in delivering open, secure societies, the legal profession has arguably been the most resistant to digital disruption. DIFC Courts CEO Mark Beer OBE believes the legal industry is now compelled to adopt technology to become more user-friendly, and that it risks being supplanted by the private sector if it refuses to change.

“Does society want people to feel confident in solving their problems in a court?” DIFC Courts CEO Mark Beer OBE understands better than anyone just how traditional legal systems inspire trepidation in claimants and defendants alike across the globe. “If so, give them access to one from their mobile phone. Let them beam into a court room and give evidence from a smartphone.”

Governed by English common law, DIFC Courts’ verdicts are enforced in jurisdictions including England, Wales, New York and Singapore. Its ‘Smart Small Claims Tribunal’ – a video-driven digital court that can be accessed by case participants from across the globe – has already received international acclaim. It has been visited by Tanzanian and Qatari delegations, who are now keen to follow its example, while eight members of parliament (MPs) from the United Kingdom visited in April for a first-hand look at how the Smart SCT operates, and the role it plays in attracting businesses to the UAE. MP for Eddisbury, Antoinette Sandbach, lauded the project on her visit. “The Smart SCT works so quickly and has great advantages for commercial relationships. It actually looks like this small claims system works more effectively and quickly than ours does back in the UK.”