Cairo:The Arab Centre for Legal and Judicial Research, part of the Council of Arab Justice Ministers, has adopted the Guide to Documenting Arab Legal Research. This guide, created by the Ministry of Justice’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, aims to serve as a unified reference for documenting legal research and studies across the Arab world.
According to Qatar News Agency, the guide was adopted during the 34th meeting of deans and directors of Arab judicial institutes, which took place at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. This decision highlights the Ministry of Justice’s leadership role and reflects Qatar’s positive contributions to legal research and studies.
Dr. Abdullah Hamad Al Khaldi, Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Ministry of Justice, presented an overview of current citation practices in Arab legal research. He discussed the guide’s objectives, preparation rationale, and methodology, which aligns with international standards.
The guide addresses inconsistencies in citation styles observed in Arab legal research, identifying seven key issues such as missing formats for sources and incomplete details regarding judicial rulings. It draws on international citation models, including the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) and the American Bluebook, while considering the unique aspects of Arab legal sources.
The guide aims to standardize documentation methods and improve the accuracy of legislative citations by specifying official wording, amendments, and enforceability status, thereby supporting academic integrity and enhancing the quality of legal publishing in the Arab region.
Comprising 11 key areas, the guide covers Sharia sources, national legislation, judicial rulings, international sources, and emerging sources like artificial intelligence outputs. It will undergo periodic reviews every two years.
The guide has already received its first academic accreditation from Qatar University and is expected to gain further accreditations from other Arab universities, promoting its wider adoption within academic and legal circles in the Arab world.