KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice and the Kuwait Bar Association (KBA) on Sunday signed a cooperation protocol that declares the association a professional and community partner in the ministry’s comprehensive reform project aimed at modernizing legislation and strengthening the country’s judicial infrastructure. The protocol was signed by Acting Undersecretary Awatif Al-Sanad on behalf of the ministry and by KBA President Adnan Abul, in the presence of Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait. The signing ceremony was held at the KBA headquarters.
Al-Sumait stressed that cooperation with the KBA seeks to enhance governance, improve data exchange, and address shortcomings in the system. “KBA is best placed to identify the challenges facing the justice sector, and its presence as a partner is essential for development,” he said. He announced that a direct communication channel will be established between the two sides to improve ministry services, adding that the judiciary, the ministry, and the KBA are the main players in advancing the legal system.
KBA President Abul described the agreement as the first of its kind between a civil society institution and a government ministry, praising the ministry’s confidence and cooperation. He noted that the protocol includes practical measures such as a dedicated hotline to handle lawyers’ concerns and facilitate their daily dealings in court and with ministry departments.
KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Nasser Al-Sumait meets lawyers at the Kuwait Bar Association headquarters, where the ministry of justice and KBA signed a cooperation protocol. – KUNA photos
On the sidelines of the signing, Minister Al-Sumait lauded the drafting of a new lawyers’ law, which he said would mark a “quantum leap” for the profession. The law regulates contracts and fees, defines lawyers’ roles and ensures stronger legal guarantees. Notably, it bans holding lawyers in 24-hour custody for courtroom offences, instead requiring judges to refer them to an inquiry panel. “Together with the judiciary law, the lawyers’ law will bring about a significant leap in the legal profession,” he said, noting that issues related to cassation appeals remain under discussion with the association.
Addressing the rising costs of litigation, the minister attributed them to the enormous caseloads facing the courts, which receive some 500,000 new cases annually in addition to a backlog of over one million. He revealed that appeals at the court of cassation alone have reached 81,000. He also said that a draft family law prepared by senior judges and prosecutors has been referred to the KBA for review.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Lawyers Society Secretary Khaled Al-Suwaifan emphasized that the meeting between the minister and lawyers represented more than a routine dialogue. He described it as a “founding milestone” for a new phase of institutional cooperation, built on the shared conviction that justice can only be achieved through the integration of roles between the ministry and the legal profession.
Al-Suwaifan highlighted the society’s “legislative renaissance initiative”, which proposes more than 90 legal reforms, including amendments to the advocacy law, documentation law, economic court regulations and civil procedures. He said the minister showed genuine commitment to legislative modernization, digital transformation and procedural simplification.
“The protocol is not just procedural, but a strategic framework for genuine partnership to advance legal efficiency,” Al-Suwaifan said, affirming the society’s commitment to serve both the nation and the profession by removing obstacles before lawyers and reinforcing the supremacy of law. — KUNA
