RIYADH — Necessary amendments have been made in the provisions of the law regarding the organizational structure of the Saudi Bar Association so as to enable non-Saudis to join the association. Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from well-informed sources that the approval has been granted to amend the texts of th law by deleting the word Saudis from the basic membership criteria, allowing the association to accept the membership of non-Saudis. According to the sources, the competent authorities reviewed recommendations in this regard and took a final decision to amend the first paragraph of Article 2 of the organizational structure of the association that was based on a Cabinet decision issued in 1436 AH. Meanwhile, legal sources noted that practicing the profession of a lawyer in the Kingdom will remain restricted to Saudis, as it is a profession of a sovereign nature. In the meantime, the Shoura Council approved on Tuesday to add an article to the Code of Law Practice that reads: "Anyone licensed to practice the profession of a lawyer must obtain the basic membership of the Saudi Bar Association within 90 days after obtaining a lawyer's license. The Ministry of Justice revealed earlier that the number of male and female lawyers practicing in the legal sector has risen to 18,000. As of June 10, the number of practicing lawyers registered with the Ministry of Justice stood at 9,541 lawyers, including 1364 men and 8,177 women. The ministry said that the number of trainees currently enrolled in law firms has reached 8,238, including 5,150 men and 3,088 women. According to the organizational structure of the Saudi Bar Association, there are three categories of membership. The first is the basic membership, and it was limited to Saudi lawyers (before the amendment of the law) who are entitled to practice the lawyer profession in the Kingdom and who have paid the annual membership fees. As for the professional affiliate membership, it is enjoyed by everyone who meets the conditions of the lawyer's profession after applying for membership to the association's board of directors, and its' acceptance by the board, in addition to the payment of the prescribed fees. There is also honorary membership that the board of directors decides to grant to those who make outstanding contributions that serve the goals of the authority. The association aims to upgrade the standard of lawyers while practicing their profession, as well as ensure their good performance, and work to enhance their awareness with regard to their professional duties in accordance with the regulations. In order to achieve its objectives, the association shall have all the powers, including framing the basics and standards for practicing the profession; reviewing those standards, and improving them in accordance with the Shariah principles and regulations. It also works to take care of the interests of the main members of the body related to the practice of the profession according to what is legally established, and work to provide the necessary services to them, including ratification of their signatures, organizing courses, holding conferences, seminars, meetings, forums and exhibitions related to the legal profession, and participating in them, and that is coordination with the Ministry of Justice. The association is also tasked to hold qualification and training programs in the field of the profession and evaluate them, and that is in participation with the competent authorities, in addition to conducting studies and research before publishing them, issuing books, publications, scientific and professional magazines and periodicals, and submitting to the competent authorities what they see as proposals related to the profession. The association is also providing legal aid to those entitled to this, apart from technical advice in the respective fields.
