Doha, October 11 (QNA) - The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) on Sunday launched a new website for the Official Gazette and the Al Meezan Legal Portal, advancing efforts to establish an integrated national digital platform for legal information in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its digital agenda.

The launch was attended by HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi.

HE the Minister said the project implements the directives of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani to make digital transformation a driver of greater government efficiency and improved public services.

The significance of the project lies not merely in the development of two new websites to enhance the legal and justice system, but also in its role as a strategic step toward building a unified infrastructure for legal information, HE Al Mohannadi underscored.

He added that the initiative would keep pace with the nation's digital metamorphosis and underpin its forward-looking vision of launching more efficient and interconnected initiatives, delivering more accessible and transparent government services, and fostering a clearer and more competitive legal environment.

HE the Minister outlined how the project's design grew out of a vision that goes beyond strengthening tools for publication and legal research to encompass the development of a system aligned with modern global trends in government digital transformation.

He added that international standards increasingly measure government progress not by the number of online platforms launched, but by the availability of reliable, user-friendly digital services. He explained that the project also aims to optimize access to government information, bolster institutional integration, and unlock new opportunities for more effective engagement.

  The project directly advances the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy by enhancing institutional efficiency, accelerating digital transformation, and improving the business environment, HE Al Mohannadi pointed out.

The Minister further remarked that, through this project, the Ministry aspires to integrate legal information seamlessly into the country's unified digital environment through a reliable publishing system and an encyclopedia offering in-depth knowledge of national legislation, alongside easier access to data and a more interconnected and reliable framework.

On the provision of legal information and the right of access to the law, the Minister said that the law belongs to everyone and that access to it is a right, not a privilege.

Overall, the launch of the website and portal marks a paradigm shift in legal publishing and the promotion of Qatari legal content, providing, for the first time, an integrated digital system featuring reliable, documented legal texts, efficient information retrieval, and effective content organization in line with state-of-the-art legal search methods and best technological practices.

More tellingly, AI-powered technologies are deployed under regulations designed to ensure accuracy and reliability, with the authoritative legal text serving as the sole reference, as long as technology guides people to the law; it never supersedes it.

To regulate electronic publication and ensure the authentication of published texts, Ministerial Decision No. 129 of 2026, issued by HE the Minister of Justice, establishes the applicable procedures. Under Law No. 12 of 2016 concerning the Official Gazette, the electronic edition is issued as an authenticated official text.

  The Al Meezan Legal Portal brings together legislation, judicial rulings, legal opinions, and agreements in an integrated, encyclopedic framework, enabling users to move seamlessly from the text of the law to its context and practical application. It currently contains more than 9,659 legislative instruments, 3,758 judicial rulings, and 709 agreements.

Both the website and the portal are available to individuals and institutions alike in Arabic and English, with accessibility standards taken into account to ensure access for persons with disabilities.

The portal also serves as an established channel for promoting public participation in the development of the legislative framework, in lockstep with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. It enables members of the public to pitch proposals on draft legislative instruments open for public consultation and to comment on legislation currently in force, thereby fostering engagement between government institutions and the public.

In terms of the business environment and investment, the system takes on particular significance by promoting legal certainty and transparency, streamlining business operations, and reducing the time and effort required to access relevant legislation.

This, in turn, will foster confidence among domestic and international investors in Qatar's regulatory environment and further strengthen the State of Qatar's appeal as a destination for high-quality investment.

More broadly, the project grew out of a national partnership and close institutional integration among MOJ, the Supreme Judiciary Council, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the National Planning Council, the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, and the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, together with MOJ's strategic partners working to implement its 2025–2030 strategic plan. (QNA)