The Justice Ministry organized the two-day forum in collaboration with the Saudi Society for Social Studies.
“The Justice Ministry plans to launch a mediation and settlement program to settle family disputes. After that, only disputes not resolved by the program will go to law courts,” Al-Issa said in a press conference convened on the sidelines of the forum.
As part of the program, new social service offices will be opened in law courts. The minister hoped that the social service offices would boost the activities of the existing reconciliation offices and reduce the heavy workload of law courts.
Al-Issa and Minister of Social Affairs Yousuf Al-Othaimeen signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration in family reconciliation after the inauguration of the forum. “The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs aim to strengthen the role of social scientists in Shariah courts in order to step up efforts to reconcile between disputing family members before they seek out a court decision,” the minister said commenting on the importance of the MoU.
He added that 60 percent of the cases in courts were related to family disputes. “A law court deals with the results of a dispute while a social scientist solves the dispute at its roots and brings about mutual understanding and affection between the contending parties,” he said.
The minister added that the ministry would seek the help of retired judges also in social scientist offices to benefit from their long experience.
The minister said 3,000 jobs in courts and notary offices were vacant and 1,500 posts were filled.
President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s adviser Prince Bandar bin Salman bin Muhammad chaired two sittings in the forum.
While speaking on the occasion, Al-Othaimeen welcomed the move by the Justice Ministry to open social service offices in law courts.
He said there were many social problems in the Saudi society that has led to the increase in the number of family quarrels and divorces.
“However, we know that disputes between husbands and wives have been existing since the beginning of the institution of family life. Disputes in the old times were successfully resolved in the framework of social customs that tied the family strongly with the society,” he said.
He added that the weakening of family ties with the growth of individualistic tendencies in modern times was a major factor that contributed to the increase in broken families.
The Social Affairs minister also pointed out the need for benefiting from the experience of other countries in the area of strengthening family relations and counseling.
“Almost 40 years ago juvenile courts for boys and girls were established in the Kingdom. The judges at the juvenile courts will not issue a judgment before getting a report from social scientists,” he said.
The Social Affairs Ministry has launched many family guidance programs and the latest of them is the social counseling unit at the ministry with the toll free number 800-124-5005, he said.
