DIFC Courts fast tracks employment claims

The DIFC Courts, the Dubai International Financial Centre's (DIFC) independent, common law judicial system, announced on Wednesday that the limit on employment cases that can be heard by the small claims tribunal has been increased to Dh200,000 from Dh100,000, following feedback from the business and legal community.

The increase means that any employment case involving an amount up to Dh200,000 can be heard by the small claims tribunal, saving litigants time and money. The SCT is able to hear cases of any value where both parties agree in writing.

Cases are largely heard by the small claims tribunal without the involvement of lawyers, and more than 90 per cent have historically been resolved within three weeks of lodging the claim.

 Chief Justice Michael Hwang, DIFC Courts, said: "The DIFC Courts were created to provide the business community with the most efficient and accessible regime for case resolution, and the expansion of the limits on the SCT's jurisdiction gives more options for people with employment disputes. We constantly seek to innovate and improve our services to meet the needs and challenges of the community, and this rule amendment serves these goals." 

The change follows the increase in 2010 in the limit on non-employment cases to Dh500,000 (provided both parties agree to using the small claims tribunal) and has come as one of the recent amendments to the Rules of the DIFC Courts, to further enhance the efficiency of proceedings before the DIFC Courts. The rules are based on the highest standards of commercial court procedures from around the world, and are widely acknowledged for efficiency and promoting parties to settle disputes before trial.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.