Saudi Gazette report Despite the fact that the Kingdom's laws and regulations respect the rights of the individual, people still fear for their lives and panic when they receive a letter of summons by a security or governmental authority such as the Police, Civil Affairs, or the Civil Defense, especially when the reason for the summons is not stated. Moreover, even when the person being summoned asks for the reason, the reply is usually: Visit us and you'll know. Dr. Mohammad Almasoud, a lawyer and legal consultant, said that the law protects citizens and no authority has the right to imprison someone or direct any form of physical and emotional torture towards anyone unless the said citizen has committed a crime or an offense with clearly stated consequences. “As stated in the law, no legal judgment may be issued until the accused person is proven guilty of a crime in an official court summons. Even in this case, the respondent has the right to bring with him a lawyer and has the right to know the reason he was summoned,” he said. Abdullah Alyami, a social worker and a human development trainer, agreed that a court summons can cause great worry to the respondent, but said people are quick to assume the worst. “This is why it is very important that the respondent is aware of the reason why he was summoned to court. This issue is not only restricted to the Kingdom. Many countries face the exact same problem. Perhaps the countless police TV series and soap operas are making our imagination run wild and our adrenaline rush through our bodies,” he said, while adding that all security and government workers should receive training on communication etiquette. “They are the representing party of the country to its own citizens. They need to know how to deal with people on a social and psychological level. Employees of security directorates should also attend seminars and training programs in other countries in order to exchange expertise. All of these efforts will reflect positively on society and will also ensure the health and safety of many citizens. There has to be a balance between harshness and leniency in such situations depending on the personality and felony of the respondent.” Inam Alasfour, a legal activist, also said it is the right of the respondent to know why he is being summoned to court. In fact, it is stated in the law that the respondent must be informed of the reason for him being summoned. He cautioned that ill-preparedness and lack of awareness of the situation by the respondent will result in negative ramifications on the individual and society. The correct protocol for a court summons is to write the full name of the respondent, nationality, occupation, place of residence, date of summons, date and time of the court sitting, name and signature of case detective, and the official stamp of the summoning directory. “Dragging the respondent into court involuntarily by police officers from General Security is an order only issued when the respondent refuses to cooperate with civil means. Even in the case where an arrest warrant is issued, the warrant should contain the signature of the head of security and the approval of the jail manager confirming there is space for the culprit when admitted. “In the courtroom, the respondent should be able to present an original copy of the summons translated into his mother language if it isn't Arabic. The summons should contain the title of the summons and what it entails. Otherwise, the summons order is legally invalid,” he explained Ahmad Almazeed, the head of the Civil Affairs Office in Al Qatif, said there have been notable developments in the summoning procedures used by courts. He also added that the Civil Affairs aims to serve citizens in the easiest and fastest way it can. “Civil Affairs offices now communicate with the general public through text messages and all of the information is available on our website,” he said.
