President of the Investment and Trade Court Judge Khalid bin Ali Al Obaidly during the interview.
President of the Investment and Trade Court Judge Khalid bin Ali Al Obaidly has underlined that the Court, whose establishment law was issued last year, will be distinguished by flexible procedures for settling disputes that meet all modern international standards, protect rights, enhance transparency and equal opportunities, and contribute to the realisation of Qatar National Vision 2030, which foundations were laid by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
In an exclusive interview with QNA, Al Obaidly said the establishment of a court specialised in commercial dispute cases is an important step in the development of Qatar’s judicial system, to spur the advancement of all sectors, including the economic and investment sectors in the country which have witnessed great growth in recent years.
He added that the issuance of Law No.21 of 2021 establishing the Investment and Trade Court contributes to creating an attractive investment environment in Qatar which has become a focus of interest to many investors. The establishment of this court keeps pace with the demand for the investment sector, thus it is a message of reassurance to investors and business owners wishing to invest in the country.
He added that the presence of a court specialised in investment and trade issues will have a significant impact on the national economy, as it will contribute to accelerating the pace of commercial dispute resolution and creating a healthy economic environment, in line with Qatar’s plans to increase its exports and attract foreign investments.
Al Obaidly explained that the court is competent to adjudicate disputes related to commercial contracts, disputes arising between merchants related to their business, disputes related to commercial papers, and disputes arising between partners or shareholders in commercial companies, such as: bank operations, disputes of finance and investment companies, maritime sales, electronic commerce transactions, transport contracts, supply contracts and orders, commercial mortgage, commercial agency, bankruptcy, intellectual property, business and industry contracting, building and construction contracting, insurance, commercial companies, service contracts, publishing and media disputes, and others.
He added that the Court consists of primary and appeal departments, and its judges will be from the judges of the Court of Primary and the Court of Appeal chosen by the Supreme Judiciary Council; in addition to a department in the Court of Cassation that will be competent to consider appeals against judgments issued by the Court. The Court will contribute to enhancing investor confidence in the judiciary, improving the legal culture of the community, and speeding up the resolution of disputes with quality and efficiency, he said.
On the benefit of international and regional experiences in establishing the court, Al Obaidly referred in this regard to visits and training courses by some judges to Singapore Judicial College in 2019 and London Commercial Court in 2020, in addition to visiting a number of arbitration and mediation centres in Singapore and Britain.
With regard to providing the court with Qatari cadres specialised in the field of commercial judiciary, Al Obaidly highlighted the “Judges of Tomorrow” program, established in cooperation between the Supreme Judiciary Council and the College of Law at Qatar University, which aims to attract to the Council the colleges’ outstanding students who meet the admission requirements for this program by sponsoring them academically throughout the period of their study until graduation and joining them as assistant judges after their graduation.
To join the program, the student should be a Qatari citizen who has completed at least 40 hours and excels in his/her field of study with a grade point average of no less than 3, and must be of good character and conduct to pass the personal interview successfully. The first batch has been selected, and applications will be open soon, he added.
Al Obaidly added that the Qatari government has always been interested in developing its legislation, and reiterated that the Court will make use of modern technologies including an electronic system to facilitate litigation and speed up cases.
