During a press conference at the Ministry of Justice, Al-Sumait detailed how the second phase of the National Plan to Modernize the Legislative System wrapped up approximately six months ahead of its original timeline. The effort produced the issuance of 24 new laws, amendments to 56 others and the repeal of nine statutes. In addition the phase incorporated 161 laws, decrees and approvals connected to international agreements and memoranda of understanding, the minister said.
Al-Sumait attributed the accelerated progress to coordinated work among governmental, judicial and legal institutions across the country. The third phase now aims to review and update 400 laws by December 2027. That stage will concentrate on measures with immediate effects on economic activity, criminal justice and social welfare, according to the justice minister.
Legislation slated for review in the upcoming work includes the Penal Code along with the Criminal Procedures and Trials Law. Changes are also planned for the Personal Status Law, the Family Court Law and rules protecting children and families. Further priorities encompass the Real Estate Registration Law and regulations governing private sector labor, Al-Sumait outlined.
The legislative updates have already eased pressure on the court system. Ministry figures show the overall caseload before Kuwaiti courts fell from 534,226 to 422,713, a decline of 20.88 percent. Cases reaching the Court of Cassation dropped by 45.31 percent while criminal matters at the Court of First Instance decreased by 27 percent.
Targeted procedural adjustments produced some of the largest gains. Raising the appeal threshold under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law from 1,000 to 2,000 Kuwaiti dinars led to a 27.1 percent reduction in partial appeal cases, the minister reported. Separate changes to the payment order system allowed courts to decide cases on their merits during review and produced a 39.9 percent drop in those filings.
The latest milestone continues a reform drive first presented to the cabinet in 2025 when Al-Sumait called for updating roughly one quarter of all statutes by the close of 2026 through joint efforts of state agencies and civil society groups. An August 2025 inspection tour report by Asharq Al-Awsat noted the minister’s emphasis on digital tools to speed justice delivery and reduce backlogs. Progress stood near 20 percent of the targeted laws by January 2026, according to earlier updates compiled by Times Kuwait.
