Justice Ministry launches website

The Ministry of Justice yesterday launched a website in English and Arabic and posted on it, among other things, all the laws and court verdicts passed in the country since 1961.
Expatriates, especially, would find the website valuable as all Qatari laws, including the one that regulates rent, are translated into English and posted there.
H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanem, the Minister of Justice, told reporters after formally launching the website at the ministry premises, the website is titled ‘Al Mizan’ (Scale).
It is a sophisticated website which differs from the previous sites as it is user-friendly, particularly, for researchers as well as provides easy access to laws and legal amendments.
He said talks are underway between Qatar and the Library of US Congress for the transfer of Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) noting that its executive office has found that Qatar is one of the strongest candidates for the link. The US officials are currently here for talks.
The portal also aims to implement the policy of open access to the public, increasing government organs’ transparency, indexing and publishing of all legal information in the state and making them available to a large number of citizens and residents, government institutions and foreign investors.
The Minister said the portal has been launched thanks to a strategic partnership between his ministry and the Supreme Council for Communications and Information Technology (ictQatar).
By enjoying the membership of GLIN jurists in Qatar will have access to an international legal database. GLIN was initiated by the legal library of Congress in 1991. It is a public database of official texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and other complementary legal sources contributed by governmental agencies and international organisations.
The Ministry of Justice has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GLIN regional office in Kuwait, before signing the charter with the network headquarters in Washington.

The Peninsula