Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Justice has made a major headway in fast tracking of court verdicts by appointing as many as 297 judges for the purpose. The judges, who have the jurisdiction for the compulsory execution of verdicts, managed to secure within one week more than SR631 million worth of funds that are owed to clients according to verdicts issued earlier, according to a report in Al-Riyadh Arabic daily. These funds involve checks, bonds, as well as movable and immovable properties. The judges executed the verdicts compulsorily on companies, establishments, companies and individuals. Sheikh Khaled Al-Dawood, undersecretary for the affairs of attachment and execution at the ministry, said that all the verdicts were executed compulsorily. “Expediting the procedures in execution of court verdicts is one of the major pillars of the Kingdom's judicial system,” he said. Al-Dawood noted that the government promulgated last year the Execution Law for the purpose of governing the verdicts execution process in the Kingdom. The new law granted judges jurisdiction and supervision over compulsory execution, assisted by the necessary execution officers. “Since the approval of the law, the agency for attachment and execution had executed all the verdicts and there were no verdicts pending execution,” he said. According to Al-Dawood, the agency's performance results within a short span of time after its inception have been excellent. It has established four departments and they included general departments for licensing and asset units. He said that a total of 297 executive circuits have been set up. The breakup of the circuits include general courts in 13 provincial capitals, in addition to nine major regions — Jeddah, Taif, Al-Ahsa, Al-Khobar, Qatif, Onaiza, Al-Kharj, Bisha, and Khamis Mushayt. There are also 70 circuits in other regions, as well as at 65 courts that have single judges. Al-Dawood said the verdicts are being executed in coordination between the agency and the concerned departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Ministry of Housing, Capital Market Authority, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). “The agency is supervising the provision of advanced training on the execution of verdicts to 100 executive judges, and 500 employees of the circuits. A website was also launched for the agency to render various services related to the execution of verdicts, receiving petitions, and publicizing reports and advertisements,” he added.
