May 11, 2023 Practice Directions
PRACTICE DIRECTION NO. 1 OF 2023
HANDING DOWN OF RESERVED JUDGMENTS IN THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE COURTS
1. This Practice Direction is aimed at ensuring that reserved judgments are handed down as expeditiously as is reasonably practicable having regard to the circumstances of the case, including its nature and complexity, and the other commitments of the court. It applies to all cases before the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance and the Small Claims Tribunal.
2. For present purposes, judgments and reserved judgments include judgments reserved after oral hearings and reasons for judgment, and judgments for paper applications
3. With effect from [x] [April] 2023, all reserved judgments will be handed down within the timeframes set out below.
A. Court of Appeal (“CA”)
4. 80% of the CA judgments will be handed down within three (3) months from the later date of the end of the appeal hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
5. 90% of the CA applications determined without a hearing will be decided within ten (10) working days from the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
6. 95% of the CA ordinary applications (i.e. applications likely to require an oral hearing of 2 hours or less) will be decided within ten (10) working days from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
7. 80% of the CA heavy applications (i.e. applications likely to require an oral hearing of more than 2 hours) will be decided within one (1) month from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
B. Court of First Instance (“CFI”)
8. 80% of the CFI judgments will be handed down within three (3) months from the later date of the end of the trial or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
9. 95% of the CFI applications determined without a hearing will be decided within five (5) working days from the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
10. 90% of the CFI ordinary applications (i.e. applications likely to require an oral hearing of 2 hours or less) will be decided within ten (10) working days from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
11. 80% of the CFI heavy applications (i.e. applications likely to require an oral hearing of more than 2 hours) will be decided within one (1) month from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any
12. For all CFI urgent applications (i.e. applications filed pursuant to Part 25 of the Rules of the DIFC Courts and determined by a Registrar to be urgent in nature) will be decided within one (1) working day from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any
C. Small Claims Tribunal (“SCT”)
13. 90% of SCT judgments will be handed down within seven (7) working days from the later date of the end of the hearing or the date of the parties’ final submissions if any.
Dated this 11 day of May 2023.
