Oman Begins New Judicial Year 2026–2027, Advances Digital Transformation of Justice System

Muscat, The Gulf Observer: The courts of the Sultanate of Oman and the Public Prosecution have commenced the new judicial year 2026–2027, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the rule of law, enhancing judicial efficiency and ensuring prompt justice.

In preparation for the new judicial year, Oman’s courts completed their general assembly meetings to determine judicial circuits, prepare human resources and facilities, and strengthen administrative and technical readiness. The measures are aimed at facilitating litigants’ access to justice, improving institutional performance and expediting the adjudication of cases.

A major feature of the new judicial year is the launch of digital systems for inheritance-related proceedings across various courts during the first phase. The initiative represents a significant step in modernizing justice services related to inheritances, estates and the management of orphans’ funds, while supporting the transition from paper-based procedures to electronic services.

The digitalization initiative is also intended to simplify procedures, strengthen governance and bring judicial services closer to litigants and beneficiaries, in line with Oman’s efforts to develop a more efficient and flexible judicial system.

Speaking on the occasion of the new judicial year, Sayyid Mohammed Sultan Al Busaidi, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council, said the beginning of the new year provided an opportunity to reaffirm the judiciary’s mission of serving justice and humanity and protecting the nation’s achievements.

He said the judiciary would build on the accomplishments of the previous judicial year while continuing efforts to establish a more efficient and developed judicial system capable of responding to societal needs, adapting to developments and strengthening public confidence in the justice system.

Al Busaidi noted that October 1 each year marks an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved in judicial work, attributing the accomplishments to the royal care of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the efforts of personnel across the judicial and justice system, as well as their commitment to institutional development.

He highlighted digital transformation as one of the most prominent areas of development, saying that the increased use of modern technologies and the development of electronic services and procedures had contributed to improving efficiency, enhancing the quality of judicial services and accelerating the completion of transactions.

He also pointed to the commencement of operations of the Investment and Trade Court during the previous judicial year as an important development in strengthening specialized justice in Oman. The court provides a specialized judicial environment for investment and commercial disputes and supports the country’s expanding investment and business sectors.

Regarding legislative development, Al Busaidi said Royal Decree No. 80/2026 had recently been issued to amend the nomenclature of the Public Prosecution. He said the amendment reflected the institution’s position as a fundamental component of the judicial authority and its role in achieving justice, protecting society, and safeguarding rights and freedoms, while keeping pace with contemporary international practices and standards.

He said the objectives for the new judicial year include continued development of judicial infrastructure, creation of a more efficient working environment, improvement of judicial and administrative performance and preservation of the principles of justice and the rule of law.

He further stressed the importance of continuing digital transformation, developing judicial services, utilizing modern technologies and integrating systems to facilitate access to justice, improve the litigants’ experience and make judicial procedures more efficient, accessible and transparent.

Dr. Sheikh Mohammed Saif Al Saadi, Judge of the Supreme Court and Chairman of the Muscat Court, said justice was a noble mission and not merely an objective to be pursued. He described the beginning of the new judicial year as an important milestone for enhancing judicial and administrative efficiency.

He said the previous judicial year recorded high adjudication rates, supported by advances in digital transformation and electronic services that contributed to simplifying procedures, reducing the duration of litigation and facilitating access to justice.

Lawyer Dr. Said Al Qalhati said the beginning of the new judicial year reaffirmed the important role of the judicial authority, legal profession and other relevant institutions in upholding the rule of law and protecting rights and freedoms.

He said lawyers remained partners in the justice system and had a professional responsibility to act with integrity and independence while contributing to the pursuit and defense of truth in accordance with the law and respect for the judiciary.

Judicial performance indicators

The performance indicators for the judicial year 2025–2026 reflected the scale of activity across Oman’s judicial system. Courts handled a total of 177,356 cases, issuing 126,487 judgments, with an overall adjudication rate of 71 percent. The average number of cases per judge stood at 411.

The Supreme Court recorded an adjudication rate of 87 percent, issuing judgments in 5,803 out of 6,650 cases. Some of its circuits achieved a 100-percent adjudication rate, reflecting the courts’ capacity to resolve appeals and maintain consistency in legal principles.

The Courts of Appeal handled 44,189 cases and issued 28,678 judgments, recording an adjudication rate of 65 percent.

The Primary Courts handled 88,458 cases and issued 69,208 judgments, achieving an adjudication rate of 78 percent, despite handling the largest share of cases across different categories.

Investment and Trade Court

The Investment and Trade Court, established as part of the Supreme Judiciary Council’s strategic plan, began operations on October 1, 2025, providing specialized judicial mechanisms for commercial and investment disputes.

During the 2025–2026 judicial year, the court issued 4,665 judgments through its primary circuits and 82 judgments through its appellate circuits in newly registered cases.

A total of 25,758 cases were transferred to the court’s jurisdiction, of which 17,929 cases were concluded, representing a completion rate of 70 percent.

Execution of judgments

The judicial process extends beyond the issuance of judgments to their enforcement and the protection of rights. During the judicial year, courts recorded 73,925 execution requests, of which 31,929 were executed, representing an overall performance rate of 43 percent.

Civil execution requests accounted for the largest share, with 28,527 requests, or 48 percent of the total, of which 13,806 were executed.

Judicial inspection and oversight

The Directorate General of Judicial Inspection resolved 308 complaints, achieving a completion rate of 100 percent.

Its inspection activities covered 46 of 58 courts and 191 of 221 targeted judges, representing an inspection coverage rate of 86 percent among judges subject to inspection.

Expansion of digital judicial services

Digital transformation remained a central component of Oman’s judicial development efforts. The Supreme Judiciary Council continued expanding the use of technology to automate procedures and facilitate access to services.

The number of active users of the Qadha portal exceeded 137,000, while electronically registered cases surpassed 760,000. More than 29,000 execution requests were processed electronically, while over 600,000 judicial files were digitally archived.

The digitization rate of judicial and justice services reached 89 percent.

The Tawtheeq system, which supports transactions handled by Notary Public departments, recorded 136,978 transactions during the first half of 2026, of which 121,187 transactions were issued.

Video-call transactions reached 35,109, representing a 163-percent increase compared with 2024. During the same period, Notary Public departments recorded 8,752 marriages and 2,052 divorces.

The video-call service under the Tawtheeq system received the Best Digital Government Service Provided to Individuals for 2025 award.

Developing national judicial capabilities

The Supreme Judiciary Council also continued efforts to strengthen national judicial and administrative capabilities.

The number of judges reached 432 by the end of the 2025–2026 judicial year, compared with 337 during the previous judicial year. The Omanization rate in the judiciary reached 61 percent.

Training programs involved 2,015 participants, including 617 judicial personnel and 1,398 auxiliary and administrative personnel. The completion rate among targeted participants reached 93 percent.

The indicators form part of the Supreme Judiciary Council’s broader efforts to establish a more efficient, specialized and digitally enabled judicial system under its Strategic Plan 2024–2040 and first operational plan, in alignment with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.

The council will continue implementing its operational priorities through the development of litigation procedures, expansion of specialized judiciary, improvement of judicial and institutional performance, greater use of modern technologies, reduction of litigation periods, expansion of remote litigation services, development of alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms, faster enforcement of judgments and continued development of national competencies.