A street vendor does brisk business as people rush to buy the traditional Hijazi drink Subya in Jeddah on Tuesday. Subya, made from several ingredients including bread, cinnamon, cardamom, dates and corn, is a drink found on many Iftar tables during the holy month of Ramadan. — SG photo by Amer HilabiDAMMAM — Legal expert Saad Al-Wehaibi has said a failure to hire enough judges in the Kingdom's courts has resulted in an acute shortage of judges at all levels of the judiciary. The shortage of judges has left a large backlog of cases, some of which are unheard for years. According to Al-Wehaibi, the central, eastern and western regions of the Kingdom were worst affected with no courts functioning at full strength. Al-Wehaibi said citizens' better understanding and increased awareness of their rights coupled with rapid population growth had resulted in an unprecedented number of cases filed in the Kingdom's courts over the past several years. “The shortage of judges affects both defendants and plaintiffs. What makes matters worse is that many experienced judges are quitting their jobs and joining the private sector," he said. Al-Wehaibi said a study should be conducted to find out why judges are shunning government jobs and turning to the private sector. The study would allow the concerned authorities to find a solution. Al-Wehaibi, who is involved in judicial trainings, said judges often cite the lack of adequate housing facilities, health care for them and their families and social clubs for judges as some of their reasons for turning to the private sector, which offers more job perks. “We need a special department to care for judges and look after their demands," added Al-Wehaibi. Earlier, the local media reported that a number of judges in appeals courts had urged the Ministry of Justice to do more to provide better medical services to them and their families and facilitate their needs at government departments. – SG
