A group of Saudi women is suing the Traffic Administration at the Administrative Court in Riyadh for refusing to issue them with driver's licenses. They have argued that there is no law in the Kingdom that prevents them from taking the wheel in this country. Abdul Rahman Al-Lahim, the plaintiffs' lawyer, was quoted in Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper as saying that the court has agreed to consider the case. The legal action is being led by Manal Al-Shareef, the Saudi female activist who was briefly detained last May for driving a car in Al-Khobar. The women argue that there is no legal basis for the Traffic Administration to enforce a ban on women driving. Al-Lahim said Al-Shareef has asked the court to overturn the decision taken by the Traffic Administration in the Eastern Province to refuse her a license. He said this is the first such legal action to be taken in this country. The plaintiffs referred to the Saudi Basic Law of Governance, which gives equal rights to both men and women. “The traffic law further supports our argument because it doesn't differentiate between men and women when issuing a driving license,” said Al-Lahim. The plaintiffs also referred to a United Nations convention signed by the Kingdom guaranteeing the rights of women. “We referred to some parts of the ‘Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women' signed by the Kingdom.” He said the complaint is aimed at encouraging the judiciary to enforce such agreements which are in the interests of Saudi women. He said the Administrative Court has not yet fixed a date for the case. He hoped that the court will rule in favor of the Saudi women. Al-Lahim said Al-Shareef and the other women had earlier filed their case with the Board of Grievances and the Ministry of Interior when they were refused licenses. The board was created by the government to ensure the enforcement of laws. He said the Kingdom has professional judges who are capable of dealing with such controversial cases. They can therefore determine the needs of society when making a ruling. It was high time women ran their own affairs, Al-Lahim added.
