JEDDAH: Reconciliation sections of the Kingdom's courts, which take practical, comprehensive approaches to saving marriages, received 29,336 cases last year and 7,654 cases in the first six months of this year, according to a report from the Ministry of Justice released Tuesday. The District Court in Makkah received the highest number of cases, 9,262 last year and 3,346 in the first half of this year. Riyadh's District Marriage Court received 7,103 cases in the past year and 1,591 in the first half of this year, the second-highest number of cases across the Kingdom, the report said. Saud Aal Me'jb, head of the District Marriage Court in Riyadh, said his court was established in 1999 to reduce the number of divorce cases filed and help bridge differences between couples. He said his office receives family cases before they are referred to the courts and some judges refer cases when they believe they can be settled amicably. Family counselors communicate with the husbands and wives and warn them about the negative consequences of divorce on their children and the well-being of society, he said. Aal Me'jb urged media outlets to play an effective role in highlighting the different dimensions of this social issue and launch intensive enlightenment campaigns with information about issues associated with family breakdown and divorce. Those issues include custody of the children and emotional issues children of all ages might experience: grief, anger, sadness and confusion over the breakup of the family, he added. “It should be understood that when a family breaks up, it is usually difficult for everyone. It is like death, which brings with it feelings of grief and loss,” Aal Me'jb said. He said the office has helped resolve a considerable number of cases involving issues such as disobedience, family differences and disputes and parents who prevent their daughters from getting married. Abdul Aziz, Al-Jarwan, director of the Reconciliation Administration at the Ministry of Justice, said reconciliation offices affiliated with the courts offer guidance services and advice to families. They discuss all the parts of a problem occurring between couples, he said, and give them advice and guidelines to follow to resolve their problems and encouragement to lead happy lives for the sake of the children. Al-Jarwan said these offices focus on explaining the principles of leading a happy marital life and avoiding disputes over trivial matters. The Ministry of Justice gives top priority to family cases so they don't get worse, and to prevent the disintegration of the families, he added.
