Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Isa met with the president of the National Courts in Seoul on Friday to discuss the judicial systems of the two countries.

During the meeting Al-Isa stressed the pivotal role played by the King Abdullah project for developing, reforming and modernizing the judiciary in the Kingdom.

“The Kingdom’s legal system guarantees the freedom of the courts while the executive and organizational authorities complement the function of the judiciary in a way that ensures that all three entities work independently,” he explained.

The minister briefly outlined the freedom of the Saudi judiciary, saying that even the authority supervising the functioning of the court system does not have the right to interfere in the judicial operations.

The judge works independently of the presidency of the court while the supervising services are responsible for the smooth running of the court system carrying out their work with transparency.

On the other hand, its administrative and financial affairs are attached to the Justice Ministry while the functional matters are linked to the Supreme Judiciary Council which has 11 members, he added.

However, Al-Isa made it clear that the Saudi judicial system is based on the Islamic Shariah which is the Kingdom’s constitution.

He said that some cases are now being settled in a number of centers taking the load off law courts.

Following the meeting, the Saudi minister was taken on a tour of the headquarters of the Korean Lawyers Guild where he was briefed on the regulations and statutes of the guild and its activities. Al-Isa expressed his keenness to exchange expertise in addition to active cooperation between the two countries in the field.

The justice minister also met with the chairman of the guild who stressed the need for greater cooperation between South Korea and the Kingdom in judicial matters.

In a meeting with South Korean Law Minister Hawang Kiu-an, Al-Isa discussed matters of common concern for both sides including the aspects of the bail system for convicts and legal consultancy for government departments. Saudi Ambassador to Seoul Ahmed Al-Barrak was also present on the occasion.

Al-Isa also visited the Chairman of the International Center for Settlements in Seoul Shen Ying Mo who briefed the Saudi delegation on the role and activities of the center while Al-Isa explained to the chairman the successful operations of the settlement centers in the Kingdom.