Draft law on criminal order system marks major step toward E-Justice: MoJ
. . . ensures comprehensive electronic documentation of criminal orders, enhances transparency and reduces the possibility of errors or delays. The initiative aligns Kuwait with international best practices in modern judicial systems and supports the government’s broader efforts toward digital transformation.
The Ministry of Justice affirmed that the draft decree-law amending certain provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Trials regarding the Criminal Order System, approved by the Council of Ministers at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, represents a pivotal step toward the transition to electronic justice. The move aims to accelerate case adjudication and ease the workload on courts and litigants.
In a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the Ministry explained that the draft decree allows courts to issue rulings in minor cases entirely through electronic means — from receiving requests and deliberations to issuing and announcing judgments via the digital system.
A penal order, the Ministry clarified, is a judicial decision issued in misdemeanor and violation cases that imposes a fine without the need for a public trial or witness hearings. The purpose of this system is to simplify criminal procedures, speed up rulings, and reduce the pressure on the judiciary.
The Ministry added that penal orders rely solely on reviewing case files, allowing judges to issue concise rulings without traditional hearings. The new digital approach will eliminate the need to retrieve roughly six million accumulated paper files, many of which are outdated or affected by statutes of limitations, posing significant logistical challenges.
The statement noted that the draft decree-law marks a qualitative leap in digital transformation, paving the way for a fully integrated electronic justice system in Kuwait. The reform will help streamline judicial processes, save time and resources, and deliver justice more efficiently.
It also ensures comprehensive electronic documentation of criminal orders, enhancing transparency and reducing the possibility of errors or delays. The initiative aligns Kuwait with international best practices in modern judicial systems and supports the government’s broader efforts toward digital transformation.
The Ministry further explained that the decree includes new regulations governing the handling of illegally seized items linked to criminal cases — including their storage period and the authority responsible for destroying them when they are no longer needed for investigation or trial purposes.
Earlier, the Cabinet had approved the draft decree-law amending provisions of the Criminal Procedures and Trials Law, originally issued under Law No. 17 of 1960, and referred it to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for approval.
— KUNA
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