Reem Al Shihhe selected to represent DIFC Courts on Executive Committee of International Consortium for Court Excellence

Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 27 February 2017

Demonstrating the global standing of the DIFC Courts’ commercial judiciary, Reem Al Shihhe, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Excellence, has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the International Consortium of Court Excellence (ICCE), the prestigious body founded by the US, Singaporean and Australian judiciaries to bring together international judicial institutions with expertise in court excellence.

The ICCE has developed the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE), which assesses a court’s performance in seven areas: leadership and management, planning and policies, resources, proceeding and processes, client needs and satisfaction, affordable and accessible services, and public trust and confidence.

Reem Al Shihhe, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Excellence, DIFC Courts said: “To represent the DIFC Courts on the Executive Committee of the International Consortium for Court Excellence is a huge honour, and speaks volumes about the DIFC Courts’ standing within the international legal community. As a committee member, I look forward to sharing my experience within Dubai’s English-language legal system to raise global standards of courts across the world.”

Mark Beer, Chief Executive and Registrar of the DIFC Courts said: “Reem is an outstanding talent and is thoroughly deserving of this opportunity. Her contribution to the judicial landscape across Dubai has been exceptional, and we are delighted to have her represent the DIFC Courts and wider UAE on the International Consortium of Court Excellence. She has worked tirelessly to position the emirate as a world-class legal hub, and I am confident that she will have a significant contribution to global judicial standards in this prestigious position.”

The Chair of the International Framework for Court Excellence, Professor Greg Reinhardt, said that term membership of the Framework was awarded to those who had embraced its objectives and who, in the opinion of the founding members of the Executive Committee, would be good ambassadors for it. The Framework is designed to promote Court excellence.

The ICCE’s Executive Committee is made up of four permanent representatives from the founding institutions of the Consortium: The National Centre for State Courts (NCSC), Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA), State Courts, Singapore, and Federal Judicial Centre (FJC). By consensus, permanent members of the Committee may appoint up to three additional individuals to become term members, providing they are a representative of a member organisation of the Consortium.

With Reem’s direction, the DIFC Courts were the first Dubai Government entity to receive the five-star Government Service Award for customer service excellence, and the first courts in the world to achieve the high service standards required by The International Customer Service Institute (TISSE). They have have also won the UAE Customer Service Award for four consecutive years under her guidance, as well as the 2014 UK Law Society Award for Excellence in the International Legal Services.

The next Executive Meeting will be held on the 27-28 March 2017 in Melbourne, Australia during the Supreme Court of Victoria Innovation and Excellence in Courts Conference. Reem, who was put forward by the DIFC Courts to represent the institution on the Executive Committee, will combine her new role in this position with her existing DIFC Courts duties.   

-Ends-

For further information, please contact:
Liam Turner/Tameem Alkintar
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600 
Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: liam.turner@bm.com  
tameem.alkintar@bm.com 

About the DIFC Courts
The UAE’s DIFC Courts administer a unique English-language common law system – offering swift, independent justice to settle local and international commercial or civil disputes. The Courts, based in Dubai, provide certainty through transparent, enforceable judgments from internationally-recognised judges, who adhere to the highest global legal standards. The DIFC Courts are independent from, but complementary to, the UAE’s Arabic-language civil law system – offering a choice that strengthens both processes while ensuring public access to world-class justice.

In October 2011, a decree of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction to businesses from all across the GCC region and beyond to provide the international business community with access to one of the most advanced commercial courts in the world.

The DIFC Courts were established under laws enacted by the late HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai in September 2004.  The laws establishing the DIFC Courts are designed to ensure that the DIFC Courts provide the certainty, flexibility and efficiency expected by Court users. Nearly 1,180 cases have been resolved through the DIFC Courts since 2008. The Courts’ community-focused approach encourages early settlement, while their successful track record supports Dubai’s growing status as an international business hub.

In line with HH Sheikh Mohammed’s vision, the DIFC Courts serve to develop the UAE national workforce and enhance the competitiveness of Emirati advocates. The DIFC Courts are spearheading training programmes predominantly aimed at local Emirati lawyers, which offer knowledge of, and qualifications in, the English-language common law system.

© Press Release 2017