Saudi Arabia does not have special courts of law and it guarantees everyone the right to bring their grievances to court, Mohammed Al-Issa, the Minister of Justice has said. Anyone can bring a case before a judge, even if the case is related to terrorism and public security, the minister said. “The people involved in these cases will be referred to regular judges regardless of the circumstances of such cases. There are no exceptional courts of law, martial courts, public security courts or exceptional litigation procedures in the Kingdom's policy,” Al-Issa said, according to a report in Al-Madina newspaper. Judicially speaking, all parties involved in such cases will have the right to see any document that may influence the outcome of the case, the minister added. “To ensure that justice prevails, the judge will require the person or authority to submit (relevant) documents and everyone must then comply with the judge's request,” he said. The minister said judiciary departments have been modernized and courts have been organized based on the cases they look into. Appeals and higher courts have specialized departments to deal with different cases according to fixed judicial principles, the minister added. “The courts are segregated into first-instance, appeals and higher courts. Appeals courts, for example, have been tasked primarily with looking into second-degree cases that are appealed before them. The higher courts are responsible for third-degree major criminal cases in addition to ensuring laws are enacted properly and safeguarding judicial principles,” Al-Issa said. “We encourage alternative ways of resolving disputes to reduce the pressure on courts and to facilitate procedures for the people involved, so that they are able to reach amicable solutions,” he added. The Minister of Justice emphasized that arbitration is a basic tool in settling cases. The Saudi judicial system does not interfere in arbitration, as long as it complies with the laws, he added. “The orders given by foreign arbitrators fall within the same category. It is the administrative court that is responsible for looking into applications for a foreign verdict execution. The case will not be referred to a regular judge but rather to an administrative judge,” Al-Issa said. The objective is not to hurt the convict or restrict his freedom but rather to correct his behavior and rehabilitate him as much as possible, he explained. “That is how the idea of alternative punishments came about. Many verdicts given with alternative punishment are aimed at reforming the convict. Most of these verdicts obligate the convict to perform social and public services,” Al-Issa said.
