Saudi Arabia: Judicial Reforms take a Big Stride

RIYADH - Judicial reforms picked up pace with a decision to convert branches of the Board of Grievances across the country into administrative courts, SPA reported. The decision to make the change was made by the Administrative Affairs Committee at the Board of Grievances, chaired by Sheikh Muhammed Abdullah Bin Muhammed Al-Ameen.

Accordingly, administrative courts will be based in Riyadh Region, Makkah Region, the Eastern Province, Madina Region, Asir Region and in Jouf, Qassim, Tabuk, Hail, the Northern Frontier, Jizan, Najran, and Baha.

Al-Ameen directed the Board of Grievances to provide premises for the administrative courts, create judiciary and administrative posts and make financial allocations before the courts start functioning.

In line with the new Judiciary System, the Administrative Affairs Committee will perform the tasks of the Judiciary Administrative Council until such time the Council is formed.

Muhammed Bin Abdul Kareem Al-Isa, deputy chairman of the Board of Grievances, said he was optimistic with the developments.

"The Board of Grievances organized a series of workshops in the past two months which preceded the endorsement of the two systems aimed at enforcing the decision as per the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz," Al-Isa said.

Al-Isa said the Board is focused on training of judiciary staff and making big strides towards establishing an e-court to provide judiciary services electronically, which will speed up litigation procedures.

As per the Royal Decree, the administrative court system will have a High Administrative Court, an Administrative Appeal Courts and Administrative Courts.

An Administrative Appeal Court will have a Chairman and judges with the rank of a Judge of Appeal. An Administrative Court will have a Chairman and judges. The Judiciary Administrative Council is empowered to establish other specialized courts at the King's consent. Al-Isa said these courts would function through specialized circuits as follows:

Higher Administrative Court circuit formed of three judges.
Administrative Appeal Courts circuits formed of three judges.
Administrative Courts circuits formed of three judges or one judge.
The Judiciary Administrative Council will form the Administrative Courts circuits in accordance with the suggestions of the courts' chairmen.

About the mechanism to separate the commercial and punitive courts from the Board of Grievances and their affiliation to the Ministry of Justice, Al-Isa said the Experts Commission is studying the separation mechanism following the Board's recommendation to the higher authorities. A deadline will be fixed for the separation including a precise mechanism defining the staff's jobs.

- Saudi Gazette report