A few days ago, Justice Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Isa visited the courts in Buraidah. An eyewitness told me that when the minister arrived at the Presidency of Courts in the city, people complained of chaos.

The moment he entered the building, a man came to him and said: “Your Excellency, my plaintiff and I were scheduled to have a court hearing at 8.30 am, but it is now past 10 and the judge has still not arrived.” The eyewitness said the minister tried to pacify the man by finding an excuse for the judge.

“People have their own circumstances,” he said. However, other complaints were made to the minister while he was climbing the stairs of the court, going from one level to another. I say: It is a real problem when the “private circumstances” of judges accumulate and prevent them from doing their jobs.

A lawyer said he was used to judges coming late to the courts. He said he was often told that the court hearing would start at eight in the morning but the judge would only come after ten, with eyes swollen from deep and long sleep which is a privilege for those whose jobs are firmly secure.

For this, and for other reasons, lawsuits take a long time to finalize. People are at the mercy of the sleeping and absent judges. Throughout Islamic history, judges came very early to work in order to receive people, listen to complaints and resolve them on the spot. The judge was the cornerstone of the government. He was the example of punctuality and commitment to his work.

The late arrival of judges is not limited to the city of Buraidah alone. Our entire society complains about this phenomenon. Judges in all parts of the Kingdom are similar to the judges of Buraidah in coming late to court.

In the past, Buraidah had very committed and honest judges. Among others, they included Sheikh Abdullah ibn Humaid, the president of the city’s courts who was famous for his integrity and discipline, Sheikh Saleh Al-Khuraisi and others.

These are old examples but many of today’s judges would do well to follow the earlier examples instead of arriving in the court at midday. It is good that the minister heard the complaints about the late arrival of judges for himself.

I wish regulations were issued to put an end to the late arrival of judges. This should not be idle talk which enters one ear and goes out the other or one that is lost between the ministry of justice, the supreme judicial council and the high court.

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