Courts in the Kingdom have now been given permission to make rulings in absentia if a defendant fails to appear at two consecutive hearings. The Secretary General of the Supreme Judicial Council, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Yahya, said the move was now in effect and that in absentia sentences would be pronounced if defendants fail to respond to two court orders summoning them to hearings. It is hoped the move will accelerate procedures in the many hearings which are delayed due to the failure of defendants to appear before the court. Judicial sources say that 30 percent of defendants in judicial cases make “unreasonable excuses” to avoid appearing in court, holding up nearly a third of all pending court cases.
