Smart Dubai and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts partnered to leverage the distributed ledger technology (DLT) for the judicial system. The two entities plan to develop the world’s first “Court of the Blockchain.” Under the new project, the government-backed organizations want to find solutions on how to improve verification procedures in the court judgments for cross-border enforcement, DIFC said in a press release on Monday.
DIFC and Smart Dubai hope that blockchain will transform the judicial system including by removing document duplications and streamline processes in the legal ecosystem.
The organizations said that in the future, research would revolve around solutions to help managing disputes arising from both public and private blockchain networks, which operate with regulation and contractual conditions stipulated in the smart contracts. Currently, DLT-based smart contract transactions cannot be reversed.
Amna Al Owais, head of DIFC Courts, commented:
“This taskforce is in line with our guiding principle to deliver courts as a service, powered by technology and extended through cooperation agreements and alliances. By harnessing blockchain technology, Dubai will be firmly positioned at the forefront of legal tech and judicial innovation, setting the standards for countries and judiciaries to follow.”
Dr. Aisha bint Butti Bin Bishr, general director of the Smart Dubai Office, stated that the current project is part of Dubai’s broader plan to digitize government services. Blockchain has a key contribution to this general goal. Dubai Blockchain Strategy aims to move all government transactions on blockchain by 2020.
“An invention of this calibre and potential requires an equally disruptive set of rules and an empowered institution to uphold them. This is where our partnership with DIFC Courts comes in, allowing us to work together and create the world’s first disruptive court, helping to truly unlock the power of blockchain technology,” he added.
Smart Dubai is an initiative launched by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and is entrusted with the introduction of intelligent technologies. The office aims to make Dubai the first blockchain-based government in the world.