Kuwait has implemented a comprehensive package of judicial reforms over the past year aimed at enhancing the efficiency and speed of its justice system while incorporating digital technology and maintaining judicial safeguards. Since May 2025, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Judicial Council have undertaken legislative and administrative measures to reduce case backlogs, accelerate litigation, and expand electronic procedures.

A key initiative launched in July 2025 involved the creation of specialized appeal circuits within the Court of Cassation. This move targeted the growing backlog of appeals and sought to improve case processing times. According to Dr. Adel Boursli, President of the Supreme Judicial Council and Court of Cassation, the court resolved 17,434 appeals during the 2025-2026 judicial year, representing a 17.7 percent increase compared to the previous year’s 14,816 appeals. The council continues to work toward eliminating outstanding appeals in line with directives from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Significant progress was also reported by the Misdemeanor Appeals Chambers at the Court of First Instance, which resolved 36,093 appeals in the same period, marking a 203 percent increase from the previous year. This has substantially shortened the wait time for appeal hearings—from over two years to a maximum of two months after filing. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal processed more appeals than it received between October 2025 and April 2026, clearing 33,195 cases against 31,790 new appeals filed during that time.

Reforms have extended beyond case management to the judicial notification system, historically a source of procedural delays. Justice Minister Nasser Al-Sumait highlighted that nearly 36 percent of dismissed cases were linked to incomplete notifications. Integration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Public Authority for Civil Information has increased availability of company contact data from under one percent to approximately 67 percent, covering about 162,000 of Kuwait’s 242,000 registered businesses. The launch of electronic notifications via the “Sahel Aamal” platform now connects judicial notices directly to official databases, enhancing accuracy and speeding legal processes.

In addition, electronic tools have been provided to process servers to digitally link notifications with case files and litigants, reducing paperwork and improving procedural efficiency. The adoption of official electronic seals on ministry documents further secures the authenticity of digital judicial records. Criminal procedure notifications have seen a dramatic increase, with 27,665 electronic criminal notifications issued between June 7 and July 9, 2026, compared to just 12 in the same period a year earlier.

Kuwait also introduced its first phase of an electronic litigation system for penal orders in early July 2026, enabling fully digital issuance and notification of criminal judgments in such cases. Given that penal orders account for roughly 20 percent of annual court cases, the system is expected to significantly speed up judicial timelines and reduce reliance on paper documentation.

Complementing procedural changes, several legislative amendments were enacted in 2025. Decree-Law No. 71 simplified litigation for lower-value claims, which constitute about 75 percent of lower court cases, by authorizing electronic notification methods alongside traditional mail. Decree-Law No. 133 established dedicated case preparation offices to oversee the management of electronic case files and curb abuses of judicial recusal requests aimed at delaying proceedings.

In the criminal justice domain, Decree-Law No. 157 empowered judges to electronically review penal order applications and issue rulings with approved electronic signatures, granting digital documents equal legal status to paper records under the Electronic Transactions Law.

The Ministry of Justice reported that these combined reforms have already reduced total court cases by approximately 21 percent in the latter half of 2025 compared to the previous year. Payment orders declined by about 40 percent during the same period, signaling notable improvements in judicial efficiency across Kuwait’s legal system.