Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 20th April 2010: His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) today commended the DIFC Courts, DIFC's independent, common law judicial system, for its performance in 2009.
HH Sheikh Maktoum expressed his comments at the presentation of the DIFC Courts' Annual Report for 2009. The Annual Report was received by HH Sheikh Maktoum in the presence of H.E. Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, Governor of the DIFC and a number of dignitaries and officials of the DIFC Courts and DIFC.
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of DIFC said: "By providing a reliable and independent judicial system whose standards of legal procedure and efficiency match, and sometimes exceed, those of leading established financial centres, the DIFC Courts have played a vital part in DIFC's development into a prominent global financial centre. In many ways, the DIFC Courts have created a model that emerging financial centres can adopt. The DIFC Courts' impressive achievements in 2009 point to its important role in the continued development of the financial industry."
Following notable successes in 2009, the DIFC Courts expect to achieve even more in 2010 as the institution continues to further develop and refine its processes. An established part of the UAE's justice system, the DIFC Courts are well placed to leverage the momentum created in 2009 in order to further improve upon these achievements in the coming year.
Sir Anthony Evans, Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts added, "2009 was another year of great achievement for the DIFC Courts, during which significant strides were made in the constant pursuit of fair and efficient justice to those parties amid disputes. It gives me great pride to present our 2009 Annual Report to His Highness, a report that highlights our many successes over the last year and I proudly thank everyone at the DIFC Courts for all their hard work and relentless efforts that have helped make 2009 such a defining year for us."
The DIFC Courts were established in 2007, to create an independent and world-class courts system based on common law. The Courts offer the advantages of a commercial court while providing access to efficient and transparent justice in collaboration with other Courts.