Kuwait first country in region to get WFAT accreditation
The General Assembly of the World Federation of Administrative Tribunals (International Conference of Administrative Judges) has given the nod for the State of Kuwait’s membership in the Union.
The Ministry of Justice in a statement on Friday said, the ministry during the discussions, presented Kuwait’s legislative framework highlighting the provisions of the former Judicial Organization Law No. 19 of 1959, which empowered civil courts to adjudicate compensation claims arising from unlawful administrative decisions and granted them jurisdiction over administrative contracts.
This legal framework evolved further with the issuance of Law No. 20 of 1981, as amended by Law No. 61 of 1982, which led to the establishment of administrative departments within courts of first instance, appeals, and cassation, where thousands of cases are now heard annually.
The ministry emphasized that Kuwait is among the first countries in the region whose Constitution explicitly addresses the organization of administrative dispute resolution in Articles 169 and 171.
The Union’s discussions also covered key issues related to the administrative judiciary, including mechanisms for handling administrative cases, procedures for filing and adjudicating lawsuits, implementation of rulings, the permissibility of administrative judges taking on executive roles, the concept of legal standing, conflict resolution between administrative and ordinary courts, and efforts to harmonize judicial practices among member states.
The 15th session of the General Assembly was held in Santiago, Chile, from April 2 to 4, with the participation of 62 member states and observer delegations from across the globe.
Kuwait was represented by a delegation led by President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Counselor Dr. Adel Bouresli, and included Counselor Najib Al-Majed, Undersecretary of the Court of Cassation; Counselor Dr. Nayef Al-Mutairi, Undersecretary of the Court of Appeal; Fahd Al-Dhabiri, Chargé d’Affaires of Kuwait’s Embassy in Argentina; and Walid Mansour, Director of the Office of the Supreme Judicial Council President.
