RIYADH — Dr. Najem Al-Zaid, deputy minister of justice, inaugurated on Sunday the Second International Conference on Judicial Training. The conference, under the patronage of Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani, is organized by the Judicial Training Center under the Ministry of Justice. The conference, with the theme "Excellence in judicial training: Innovation in tools and methods," drew legal experts and specialists from around the globe. In his opening remarks, Dr. Al-Zaid highlighted the Kingdom's legislative advancement, spearheaded by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. This initiative aims to strengthen legal principles, protect rights, enhance transparency, and ensure legal certainty, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that the success of last year's inaugural conference, bolstered by global partnerships, inspired the continuation of this platform to exchange expertise and explore advancements in judicial training. Dr. Al-Zaid emphasized the ministry's commitment to enhancing judicial quality through training, qualification, and knowledge management. The Judicial Training Center focuses on preparing judges, lawyers, judicial assistants, notaries, conciliators, and enforcement personnel, combining deep expertise with professionalism and ethics to build a modern judicial system. Dr. Muhammad Al-Shalfan, director general of the Judicial Training Center, reported that in 2024, the center delivered over 4,800 training courses, providing 220,000 training seats, a 55 percent increase from the previous year. These courses benefited judges, assistants, lawyers, and private-sector stakeholders. The center offers three advanced diplomas: Judicial Studies, Criminal Law, and Law Practice for aspiring legal professionals. Dr. Al-Shalfan highlighted the center's extensive local and international partnerships with judicial institutes and universities to develop high-quality programs in judicial skills, leadership, and court management. This conference reflects these collaborations, fostering global expertise exchange. The conference explores innovative judicial training methods, including AI applications, specialized programs for new judges, and new methods for evaluating training impact. Featuring 32 speakers from 16 countries, it includes nine workshops and three panel discussions on research, innovation, and global best practices in judicial training.
