Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued a law aimed at regulating the judicial authority within the Emirate of Sharjah. The new legislation lays down a series of judicial principles and structures designed to ensure justice and fairness in legal proceedings.
According to Emirates News Agency, the law emphasizes that the judiciary is the cornerstone of justice, mandating fair trials for all and prohibiting any actions that contravene these principles. It guarantees litigation as a protected right, ensuring equitable treatment for all parties involved without discrimination. Judges are assured independence in their roles, answerable only to the Constitution and the law, safeguarding their impartiality from external influences. The law also underscores the importance of honour, integrity, and conscience in the judiciary as safeguards for rights and freedoms, while guaranteeing litigants the right to legal defense during all phases of investigations and trials.
The legislation also outlines the composition and objectives of the Judicial Council, which will include a Chairman and several key members such as the Chairman of the Judicial Department, Chairman of the Sharjah Government Legal Department, Chairman of the Court of Cassation, Attorney General, Chairman of the Judicial Inspection Department, Chairman of the Courts of Appeal, and Chairman of the Courts of First Instance. Members are appointed through an Emiri Decree, which also designates a Vice-Chairman from among them.
The Council's objectives include ensuring the judiciary's independence, integrity, and impartiality, implementing the emirate's strategy for judicial advancement, reinforcing judicial ethics, promoting justice and the rule of law, assessing the judicial system's efficiency according to international indicators, and contributing to the emirate's development through a fair judiciary.
The law also addresses legal articles concerning final provisions and organizational and executive decisions, marking a significant step in the emirate's judicial reform efforts.