TRAILBLAZING JUSTICE TECH

Linda Fitz-Alan, Registrar and Chief Executive at ADGM Courts, helped build the financial center’s judicial system on a digital foundation long before the pandemic made it vital. Now she’s looking at new ways to innovate in handling disputes.

- JASON LASRADO

In September 2020, during the height of the pandemic, NMC Healthcare—the U.A.E.headquartered hospital empire founded by former billionaire BR Shetty—was placed into administration after having been found to have more than $4 billion in hidden debt. The headline-hitting case was heard at Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Courts, with the nine-hour hearing broadcast online and all documents and processes managed through a digital “eCourts” platform. The case was able to be heard, and a judgment made, despite COVID-19 restrictions, with interested parties watching from around the world. “This would not have been possible unless ADGM Courts had been digitized in every aspect of its operations,” says Linda Fitz-Alan, Registrar and Chief Executive at ADGM Courts.

The ADGM Courts system did not have to go through a process of digital transformation to achieve this feat. It was created digital-first, thanks largely to Fitz-Alan, who has been heading ADGM Courts since 2015. “We were pandemic ready before the pandemic arrived,” she points out.