The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) has issued two new Practice Directions for 2026, providing further procedural guidance in relation to default judgment and the hourly rate applicable to litigants-in-person.
Practice Direction No. 1 of 2026 (Default Judgment), issued by The Rt Hon. Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, President of the QICDRC, sets out the practice and procedure relating to default judgment under article 22 of the Rules and Procedures of the QFC Civil and Commercial Court.
The Practice Direction clarifies that where a Defendant fails to file a Defence, a Claimant may apply for default judgment in eligible monetary claims, subject to the Court’s discretion. It further requires Claimants seeking default judgment to file a witness statement addressing service of the claim under article 18 of the Rules. In the absence of such a witness statement, default judgment will not be granted.
Practice Direction No. 2 of 2026 (Litigants-in-Person – Hourly Rates), issued by The Rt Hon. Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, President of the QICDRC, and Sir William Blair, Chairman of the QFC Regulatory Tribunal, sets out the hourly rate that litigants-in-person may claim when in receipt of a costs order in their favour.
From the date of the Practice Direction, the applicable rate is QAR 200 per hour, with discretion for the Registrar to apply a higher hourly rate where to do otherwise would clearly be inappropriate. The rate will be reviewed periodically and updated by Practice Direction.
These Practice Directions form part of QICDRC’s ongoing efforts to provide clear procedural guidance to Court users and support the efficient administration of justice.
