UAE Cuts Legal Delays from 7 Days to 5 Minutes

Lawyers and legal teams across the UAE can now complete tasks in minutes that used to take an entire week. The Ministry of Justice rolled out its International Cooperation Administration System (ICAS), cutting international legal request processing time from up to seven days down to just five minutes.

The new digital platform connects UAE courts with international partners through a unified system that works entirely online. Paper-based transactions are now completely gone, replaced by automated workflows that handle everything electronically.

The ministry streamlined the approval process dramatically, reducing escalation steps from eight down to three. Response rates jumped to 90%, meaning requests almost always get answered quickly instead of sitting in bureaucratic limbo.

The Ripple Effect

This transformation extends far beyond faster paperwork. The ministry consolidated 141 separate administrative procedures into just four simple steps: application submission, review, committee referral, and electronic payment.

The system uses smart committee management with automatic referrals and electronic voting. Lawyers now receive AI-powered notifications about registration, training, promotion, and license renewals without having to chase down information themselves.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs partnered on the initiative, connecting UAE missions, foreign embassies, and relevant agencies through one digital platform. This unified approach means international judicial cooperation flows smoothly across borders and time zones.

The changes support the UAE's "We the UAE 2031" vision and align with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on peace, justice, and strong institutions. By eliminating bureaucracy, the ministry strengthens transparency and efficiency across government services.

Both ministries earned recognition at the inaugural Government Zero Bureaucracy Awards. The Foreign Affairs Ministry won for eliminating 80% of bureaucratic procedures through its Smart Mission project, while the Justice Ministry took home the Best Government Team award.

Senior citizens and People of Determination can access all services through an interface built on the UAE Design System, ensuring everyone benefits from the digital transformation regardless of technical ability.

The government continues expanding these improvements across agencies, proving that bureaucracy doesn't have to be a necessary evil of modern governance.