KUWAIT CITY, July 5: Kuwait has amended key provisions of its Juvenile Law to provide greater flexibility in the formation of juvenile courts and appellate circuits, a move aimed at improving judicial efficiency, reducing case delays, and supporting the country's judicial reform efforts.
Under Decree-Law No. 70 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette Kuwait Alyoum, the government amended the first paragraph of Article 33 and the second paragraph of Article 49 of the Juvenile Law issued under Law No. 111 of 2015.
The amended law provides for the establishment of a Juvenile Court within the Court of First Instance consisting of three judges, without restricting appointments to specific judicial ranks. The court will continue to be assisted by two social work experts, at least one of whom must be a woman. Their attendance during trial proceedings is mandatory, and they are required to examine the juvenile's social, psychological and family circumstances before submitting a report to the court before the issuance of a judgment.
The amendments also reorganize the Juvenile Appellate Circuit, which will now be headed by a judge whose rank is not lower than that of a court agent, along with two judges as members.
According to the explanatory memorandum accompanying the decree-law, the previous legislation required the appellate circuit to be headed by a counselor, while its members had to hold the rank of court agent. The government said these rank restrictions made it increasingly difficult to form appellate panels because of the limited number of judges holding those positions, resulting in delays in hearing appeals.
The memorandum noted that, at times, the judiciary may not have sufficient judges at the required rank due to the structure of judicial promotions, making it challenging to complete the formation of court panels. It added that the restrictions also slowed the implementation of Kuwait's national plan to increase the participation of qualified Kuwaiti judges in the judiciary.
Since the appellate court must remain more experienced and senior than the court of first instance, the government said it was necessary to reorganize both the Juvenile Court and the appellate circuit together to maintain the judicial hierarchy while providing greater flexibility in appointments.
The amendments, introduced under the legislative authority granted by the Amiri Order of May 10, 2024, are intended to ensure faster adjudication of juvenile cases while maintaining the quality of judicial decisions and preserving the role of social workers in assessing the welfare and rehabilitation needs of juveniles.
The decree takes effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, with the relevant ministers responsible for implementing its provisions.