The general court system of Saudi Arabia, which applies Sharia, chiefly through the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence, as courts of general jurisdiction for criminal, civil and family matters. A separate Board of Grievances, an independent administrative judicial body reporting directly to the King, handles disputes involving the government and its agencies, so the Saudi judicial system runs the two branches in parallel rather than as a single hierarchy.
Facts
Disputed
Founding YearQadi courts applying Sharia predate the modern Saudi state by centuries; 1970 is when King Faisal created a Ministry of Justice to administer the courts, and the 1975 Law of the Judiciary then organized the modern hierarchy of general and summary courts under a Supreme Judicial Council, so the 1970 to 1975 window, not a single year, is when the current system took shape. SeatRiyadh, seat of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Judicial Council; courts of first instance and appeal sit nationwide. 1 Jurisdiction ScopeGeneral jurisdiction over criminal, civil and family matters, applying Sharia under the frame the 1992 Basic Law of Governance sets, which names the Quran and Sunna as the constitution of the state. 2 Connections
In Legal System
Source Ministry of Justice History, Saudi Arabia
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Riyadh, located there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Saudi Arabia, found in there.
Sources
1. Ministry of Justice History, Saudi Arabia
2. Basic Law of Governance, Saudi Arabia (WIPO Lex)
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