Saudi Arabia is issuing four new laws as part of judicial reforms in the kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced.
The "new wave of reforms" will speed up the litigation process and help court rulings to become more predictable, as well as giving greater clarity to decisions, he said.
The new laws will also help to clarify lines of accountability and ensure the consistency of legal references in a way that limits widespread discrepancies in court rulings, the Saudi Press Agency reported Prince Mohammed saying on Monday.
The discrepancies have led to a lack of clarity, he said.
The absence of a clear legal framework for domestic and business issues has also led to ambiguity with respect to obligations, which has been "painful for many individuals and families, especially women, permitting some to evade their responsibilities", Prince Mohammed said.
"This will not take place again once these laws are promulgated pursuant to legislative laws and procedures.”
The new laws – the Personal Status Law, the Civil Transactions Law, the Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences and the Law of Evidence – have been drafted so they do not contradict Sharia principles, while taking into consideration the kingdom’s commitments under international conventions and treaties, he said.
Once finalised, the draft laws will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for review, in preparation for submission to the Shura Council.
Prince Mohammed said that in the past few years, Saudi Arabia has taken serious steps towards developing its legislative environment.
He said that judicial reforms were a continuous process, and that the four new laws would be announced consecutively this year.
Last month, Saudi Arabia passed legislation that would allow orphans and illegitimate children whose parents are unknown to be allowed citizenship, according to the country's Human Rights Commission, who noted that this would apply to around 500 children per year.
Women's rights
Another wave of legal reforms last year authorised by the Supreme Judicial Council allowed women to register for marriage or divorce, obtain their child’s birth certificate and be the legal guardian of their children after divorce.
Women are now also allowed greater rights in the drafting of marriage contracts, and for women whose father has died, male legal guardians now have less right to object to potential marriage suitors.
Farah Abadi, a paralegal in Riyadh said the new wave of reforms are testament to Saudi's commitment to human rights.
“These laws, as mentioned by the Crown Prince will help individuals especially women, who for the longest time have suffered due to the hidden discrepancies in the system and are blind-sided by them.
"Men recognize the loopholes in our judiciary system and some even take advantage of it. I am looking forward to the new laws that will help strengthen women’s rights in courts and speed up verdicts in all cases. We have had a series of empowering rights for women since Saudi Vision was announced, and I hope it continues,” she added.
How do Saudis feel about the new reforms?
The new reforms will revolutionise the judicial system and human rights in the Kingdom, Saad Al Mohsen, a corporate lawyer based in Jeddah, told The National.
“This will change the entire judicial system- we are hearing of more affirmative and clear rulings and practices. Transparent and up to date laws are pertinent to every society and are the basis of its long-term success.
"When it comes to our profession, there is an abundance of knowledge that you need to learn and then constantly update with the changing world, so it is an ongoing process, like the Crown Prince said, and we can never ignore it.
Mr Al Mohsen said the reforms set Saudi Arabia "on the path to progress" as a society.
"These positive reforms will help individuals in society to clear their cases in an efficient and timely manner,” he added.
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
