Kuwait’s Justice Ministry is preparing to launch what officials say will be the most ambitious legislative development program in the nation’s history, aiming to review and update a record share of its laws in less time than ever before.
Justice Minister Nasser Al Shemmari said the country’s legal code currently comprises 983 laws. When he assumed office, he pledged to review 10 percent of them within a year.
In practice, he said, his ministry had already examined 118 laws in just eight months exceeding the initial target both in volume and speed and is now moving to assess another 15 percent. That would bring the total reviewed this year to 25 percent.
“All of Kuwait’s core laws will undergo evaluation and development,” Al Shemmari said, adding that eight specialized committees are currently working on major statutes, including the Economic Courts Law, the rental and owners’ association law, the penal code, the criminal procedures law, and labor legislation with an eye toward streamlining judicial processes.
He noted that a new judicial law, now in its final stages, has been referred to the government’s legal advisory body and is expected to be completed soon.
The minister described a heavy “legacy burden” in the justice sector, saying Kuwait’s courts handle far more cases than those in other Gulf states, in some instances up to 10 times more.
Judges, he said, are tasked with resolving even the smallest disputes, which clogs the docket and delays verdicts.
Al Shemmari cited outdated procedures, including in notarization and power-of-attorney systems, as major contributors to case backlogs.
The current committees, he said, are working to deliver amendments “in the best way and the shortest possible time.”
Kuwait also intends to introduce new laws to address pressing needs, though the minister acknowledged that “time is the only challenge we face” in completing the work.
