Informed sources close to the ministry told Arab News that some 150 experts and consultants would be deployed at courts in the Kingdom’s main provinces.

Courts have been instructed to nominate 123 employees to take up various jobs, including that of judicial consultants.

Majed Garoub, a legal consultant and chairman of the Saudi Law Training Center, said the new move was in line with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s push to upgrade the Kingdom’s judicial facilities.

He said the report about a shortage of judges was not fully correct.  “The shortage is mainly in general courts, which account for only 10 to 15 percent of the Kingdom’s judicial system,” he added.

Shortages could also be found at the labor appeal courts.

There are more than 300 various courts in addition to the Courts of Grievances that deal with commercial and rights issues apart from 75 judicial committees under the ministry.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Eissa was recently briefed on the reasons for the two-year delay in launching the automated judicial system at the summary court in Jeddah. The postponement of the launch delayed the release of many prisoners.

An informed source at the ministry said the launch of a computer system would speed up court procedures. At present judges do not have enough time to issue verdicts quickly. As a result, many people who were sentenced to short terms had to spend longer periods in jail.

At present the Jeddah summary court issues verdicts by hand and the court face a lot of criticisms as a result of delay. The judge at the court looks into nearly 20 cases daily. The Jeddah summary court issues about 22,000 verdicts annually.