RIYADH — Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, hailed the approval of the Law of Evidence by the Council of Ministers, saying that the law will be instrumental in raising the quality of the Kingdom's legislative system and enhance the efficiency of the judicial institutions. He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for his constant support to the process of developing the Kingdom's legislative system. The Crown Prince said the Law of Evidence is the first of the four key judicial reform legislations, and that also include the previously announced drafts of the Civil Status Law, the Civil Transactions Law, and the Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences. Introduction of these new laws are widely considered as a new wave of judicial reforms in the Kingdom. "While enacting the Law of Evidence, it was taken into consideration that the law shall meet the requirements of the social, economic and technical aspects of Saudi life in a way keeping pace with the developments of the present era," he said. Earlier in February this year, the Crown Prince had unveiled plans to introduce these four key legislations as part of the measures to reform judicial institutions as well as to improve the "legislative environment" in the Kingdom. He noted that the new laws would contribute to the ability to predict court rulings, increase the level of integrity and efficiency of judicial institutions, enhance the reliability of procedures and oversight mechanisms as cornerstones in achieving the principles of justice. "It would also spell out the lines of accountability and ensure the consistency of legal references in a manner that limits widespread discrepancies in court rulings. It was decided to draft these four laws in a manner that does not contradict Shariah principles, and takes into consideration of the Kingdom's commitments under international conventions and treaties, the Crown Prince said, while noting that discrepancies in court rulings have led to lack of clarity in the rules governing the incidents and practices, and have hurt many, mostly women. The new reforms are aimed to tackle lack of clarity in 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. The Crown Prince stated that in the past few years, Saudi Arabia had taken serious steps toward developing its legislative environment. These steps include adopting new laws and reforming existing ones. They are meant to preserve rights, entrench the principles of justice, transparency, protect human rights and achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, which reinforces the Kingdom's global competitiveness.
