Al-Eissa said the Kingdom is willing to adopt the best of the judicial systems from across the world and that this would not undermine the fundamentals of the Shariah law, which forms the basis of the Kingdom's judiciary.

"There is an urgent need to coordinate efforts to fight the menace of terrorism and crime on a global level and within a global legal framework," he said.

"We are ready to adopt many new provisions in line with basic Shariah principles like allowing women lawyers to practice law in the near future," he said. Women are already allowed to defend their cases and work as agents of other women, the minister added.

Saleh Bin-Humaid, chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council, also attended the opening session. Bin-Humaid, a senior figure in Saudi judiciary, underscored the independent and impartial nature of the Kingdom's judiciary. The three-day workshop will focus on various aspects of rules and regulations governing judges and prosecutors.

Eleven international experts on terrorism are attending the event on behalf of the UNODC.

On the slow pace of the resolution of cases, Al-Eissa said: "The process has been slowed because of lack of facilities at judicial offices, which are attached to the offices of the judges."

To this end, he pointed out that the number of judges in the Kingdom is in proportion to the number of judges in many other countries. Judges are sometimes overburdened because they see and review a whole bunch of judicial papers and other documents and conduct research before issuing verdicts.

Asked about notaries who have been held accountable for dereliction of duties following the Jeddah floods, the justice minister said: "I don't want to pre-empt the findings of the committee."

The workshop is being held to discuss a range of topics related to terrorism and crime over the next two days.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Abdullah, chief of Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution, said the workshop will focus on the efforts exerted by the Saudi government to enhance international cooperation in combating terrorism.

In a statement released on the occasion, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh said: "Terrorism, which threatens security, spreads terror and sows discord in society, must be condemned by one and all." Acts of terrorism are "forbidden in Islamic Law," said the grand mufti.

"The Kingdom has been engaged for years in combating terrorism and so has particular experience in fighting terrorism and its financing," he added.

He said that "terrorism is a criminal act serving only to shed the blood of innocent people and spread panic and chaos in order to destabilize societies."