Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Monday plans to approve a set of new draft laws designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the kingdom’s judicial system, a step that would eventually lead to an entirely codified law.
At the heart of the reforms are four new draft laws-a Personal Status Law, a Civil Transactions Law, a Penal Code for Discretionary Sanc- tions, and a Law of Evidence. The new laws would eliminate discrepancies and ensure consis- tency in court rulings, improve the reliability of oversight mecha- nisms, and clarify accountabil- ity, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.
The crown prince said discrep- ancies in court rulings had led to a lack of clarity, which had hurt many people, mostly women. “The absence of applicable legislation has led to discrepancies in deci- sions and a lack of clarity in the principles governing facts and practices,” he said. “That resulted in prolonged litigation not based on legal texts.
In addition, the absence of a clear legal framework for private and business sectors has led to ambiguity with respect to obligations. “This was painful for many in- dividuals and families, especially women . It also permitted some people to evade their responsibility.
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