JEDDAH, 4 October 2007 — Prominent Saudi officials and lawyers welcomed the judicial reforms approved by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and said the new laws would revolutionize the country’s justice system, improving human rights and business environment.
“The new Judiciary Law and Court of Grievances Law were prepared with utmost care and will bring about qualitative change in the Kingdom’s judicial system,” said Justice Minister Abdullah Al-Asheikh, adding that the ministry would soon issue the executive bylaws of the two laws.
Abdullah Al-Hodaithy, deputy justice minister for judicial affairs, said the new laws were passed after the Justice Ministry, the Shoura Council and the committee of experts at the Council of Ministers carefully studied them.
“Every Saudi can be proud of this cultural achievement,” he said.
Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a legal consultant and member of the Shoura Council, said the new laws would bring about total change in the judicial system.
“The establishment of specialized courts for dealing with personal, trade and labor disputes is a very good thing and will speed up settlement of such disputes,” he said.
The decree sets up two Supreme Courts for the general courts and administrative courts which each are the final recourse after courts of first instance and appeals courts, said Hassan Al-Mulla, who heads the Saudi Bar Association.
“The Supreme Courts are both new. In the normal use of wording, they are courts of cassation,” he said.
The courts replace the Supreme Judicial Council, which will now only review administrative issues like judges’ salaries and appointments.
Mulla said the decree also sets up specialized court circuits within the general court system for commercial, labor and personal status cases, a move which has been expected since Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization in 2005.
Labor disputes were previously dealt with through ministerial tribunals and the legal system did not allow for internationally recognized processes of appeal.
“This is a major turning point in the Saudi criminal justice system. There are more guarantees for offenders and it creates specialized courts,” said commentator Zohair Al-Harithy, who works with the official Human Rights Commission. “We’ve been asking for this, and now it’s been done,” he told Reuters.
