Kuwait Showcases Digital Experience in Judicial Inspection System at Arab Meeting in Oman

A Kuwaiti judicial delegation, participating in the 30th Arab Meeting of Heads of Judicial Inspection Bodies and Agencies, held in the Sultanate of Oman, presented Kuwait’s experience in automating judicial inspection and technical oversight amid the rapid digital transformation of the judicial system.

Khaled Bashir, First Advisor at the Court of Cassation and head of the delegation, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Wednesday that the two-day meeting, hosted in Salalah and attended by judicial delegations from 14 Arab countries, focused on the importance of developing oversight and evaluation tools and leveraging modern technologies to achieve efficiency while preserving judicial independence.

He added that the meeting aimed to build a shared vision for developing the inspection system and exchanging expertise through working papers that collectively addressed the transition from traditional oversight to preventive oversight, evaluating court performance, and exploring the prospects of employing intelligent technologies in legal research and data processing. The discussions also covered challenges related to algorithmic bias and the protection and confidentiality of judicial files.

Regarding the Kuwaiti working paper, titled “The Digital Judicial Inspection System and the Application of Modern Performance Indicators to Ensure Timely Justice,” Bashir highlighted the Kuwaiti judicial system’s digital transformation, particularly the judicial inspection experience in developing its supervisory and oversight tools to consolidate governance and transparency standards.

He noted that the paper aimed to establish unified Arab standards for evaluating judicial efficiency based on digital performance indicators, and to support Arab coordination mechanisms for developing investigative and administrative and technical audit methods within the judicial sector.

In this context, he pointed out the presentation of Kuwait’s experience in digital transformation and electronic inspection, following the adoption of a system to scan and convert all paper documents, certificates, and rulings into organized, archived digital formats across all levels of litigation.

He explained that this was achieved through the secure storage and archiving of case files in databases with access rights restricted to specific individuals involved in judicial work, enabling judicial inspectors to review the full content of inspected case files and thereby accelerating the preparation of judicial inspection reports.

Bashir stated that the working paper also addressed how digital transformation enabled judicial inspectors to move from traditional evaluation to comprehensive evaluation based on accurate information, facilitated by network integration between courts and the inspection authority.

He emphasized the recent legislative developments in Kuwait, particularly the issuance of the new Law Regulating the Judiciary, which organized inspection and digital transformation by introducing new evaluation methods related to judges’ compliance with electronic litigation and hearings, and the proper management of digital sessions.

Regarding the delegation’s key recommendations, Bashir said it recommended unifying procedural inspection standards among Arab countries and developing digital guidelines for measuring judicial performance to realize shared aspirations for an advanced judiciary.

It also recommended that the Arab Award for Judicial Inspection Work be dedicated to electronic applications that have proven successful in judicial inspection.

On the importance of participating in the meeting, he stressed that it stems from a firm commitment to enhancing joint Arab judicial cooperation and exchanging expertise and perspectives on developing judicial inspection bodies, which serve as a safeguard to ensure the proper administration of justice, preserve judicial independence, and consolidate the rule of law.

The Kuwaiti judicial delegation included First Counselor Khaled Bashir of the Court of Cassation, First Counselor Raed Al-Diwani of the Court of Appeal, and Khaled Al-Nuaimi from the Judicial Inspection Affairs Department at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice.

At the conclusion of its sessions yesterday, Tuesday, the 30th Meeting of the Heads of Judicial Inspection Bodies and Agencies in Arab Countries reached a number of recommendations, the most prominent of which were the adoption of the draft Arab Award for Judicial Inspection work and the harmonization of procedural standards for inspection among Arab countries.

It also recommended adopting a balanced system for evaluating judges’ performance, developing objective and measurable criteria, and linking evaluation results to continuous training and qualification plans. Furthermore, it endorsed the use of artificial intelligence as an assistive tool in analyzing the quality of judicial rulings and inspection work, while establishing legislative and ethical frameworks to govern its use.

Participants approved several scientific themes for the 31st meeting in 2027, including total quality management in judicial facilities, balancing judicial independence with judicial performance evaluation, smart justice, and preparing a unified Arab framework for indicators of the quality of judicial rulings and judicial inspection.