DIFC Courts Expands Services with Mediation Centre and Notary Service

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts has introduced a Mediation Service Centre and a Notary Service, expanding their ancillary offerings. The Mediation Service Centre provides an alternative dispute resolution pathway, while the Notary Service enables notary officers to attest legal documents. The services are designed to broaden access to justice and provide cost-effective solutions for businesses and individuals. DIFC Courts Chief Justice Wayne Martin said the services will widen the suite of services and provide greater flexibility. The Notary Service uses Hedera Blockchain's distributed ledger technology to ensure document integrity and user privacy.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts has recently introduced a Mediation Service Centre and a Notary Service, marking an expansion of their ancillary offerings. These services aim to broaden access to justice and provide cost-effective solutions for businesses and individuals.

The Mediation Service Centre, based at the DIFC Courts, offers an alternative dispute resolution pathway, enabling parties to amicably settle disputes with the assistance of registered mediators. Parties can pre-agree on mediators' fees and terms, and mediation can be conducted either in-person at the DIFC premises or online using an AI-enabled Court Management System [1].

The Notary Service, on the other hand, authorizes notary officers to administer and attest various legal documents for businesses and individuals, exclusively in English. It is available as automated self-service, a live virtual system, and as an in-person service, with an added benefit of authentication via DataFlow’s primary source verification. The service ensures the integrity of notarized documents using Hedera Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology, converting documents into verifiable credentials in line with ERC20 standards [2].

Chief Justice Wayne Martin of the DIFC Courts noted that these services will widen the suite of services and provide greater flexibility for businesses and individuals seeking efficient, cost-effective solutions. The Mediation Service Centre and the Notary Service are designed to complement the DIFC Courts’ mission of providing an English language common law judicial system within Dubai, established in 2004.

These new services come as part of the legislative foundation provided by Dubai Law No. (2) enacted in March 2025, which supports the expansion of these ancillary services [1, 2].

References:
[1] https://www.privatebankerinternational.com/news/difc-courts-mediation-service-notary-service/
[2] https://www.zawya.com/en/business/banking-and-insurance/uae-difc-courts-launches-new-mediation-service-centre-nzmwhi58