‘There will be no law that will not be subject to review or amendment’
Kuwait has launched the third phase of its legislative reform program, with Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait announcing an ambitious plan to review and modernize hundreds of laws by the end of 2027.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Al-Sumait said the ministry completed the second phase of the project six months ahead of schedule, paving the way for a broader review of Kuwait’s legal framework.
The second phase reviewed 250 of the country’s 983 laws, about 25 percent of existing legislation. Under the newly launched third phase, the review will be expanded to 400 laws (40 percent) by December 2027 through the examination of an additional 150 laws.
Major Laws Under Review
Describing the new phase as the most significant so far, Al-Sumait said it will focus on legislation that directly impacts citizens’ daily lives, including the Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedures and Trials, Personal Status Law, as well as laws governing civil pleadings, rental disputes, juveniles, real estate registration, and commercial arbitration.
He also revealed that His Highness the Amir had endorsed the initiative, quoting him as saying: “You have my green light” to proceed with amending the country’s laws.
“There will be no law in Kuwait that will not be subject to review or amendment,” Al-Sumait declared.
Reforms Already Delivering Results
The minister said the legal reforms have already produced measurable improvements in the justice system.
According to ministry figures:
- 56 laws were amended
- 24 new laws were enacted
- Several outdated laws were repealed or consolidated
These reforms contributed to a 20.8 percent reduction in court cases over six months, with the total number of pending cases falling from 534,000 to 422,000—a decline of more than 111,000 cases.
Cases before the Court of Cassation dropped from more than 12,000 to around 6,700, while criminal cases declined by 27 percent, representing approximately 78,000 fewer cases.
Al-Sumait said the figures demonstrate the positive impact of legislative reform in reducing litigation and easing pressure on the judiciary, noting that Kuwaiti judges had previously handled workloads several times greater than their counterparts in some other countries.
