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Saudi plans judicial reforms to enhance ‘efficiency and integrity’ of the law

February 10, 2021 at 1:36 pm

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on 5 January 2021 [Royal Council of Saudi Arabia/Anadolu Agency]

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announced on Monday his intention to carry out judicial reforms in the kingdom to enhance the “efficiency and integrity” of the country’s laws, Reuters and Saudi news agencies reported.

According to Reuters, this step will eventually lead to an entirely codified law.

The Saudi Gazette reported that the laws being reformed include the Personal Status Law, the Civil Transactions Law, the Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions, and the Law of Evidence. This, it explained, will help with the prediction of court rulings, increase the level of integrity and efficiency of judicial institutions, and contribute to the increase of the reliability of procedures and control mechanisms.

They will help clarify the lines of accountability and ensure the consistency of legal references in a way that limits widespread discrepancies in court rulings, the statement said.

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“Discrepancies in court rulings have led to a lack of clarity in the rules governing the incidents and practices, and have hurt many, mostly women,” the statement noted.

According to the announcement, the new reforms will tackle the lack of clarity in the rules governing incidents and practices, prolonged litigations that are not based on established legal provisions, and the absence of a clear legal framework for individuals and businesses.

Bin Salman said in the statement that the new laws will be announced during 2021.

Saudi Arabia and its disregards for human rights - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Saudi Arabia and its disregards for human rights – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]