Women are not being prevented from appearing before judges at the Board of Grievances, according to a senior judicial official. Sheikh Ibrahim Bin Shayea Al-Huqail, President of the Board of Grievances, said that women are allowed to appear before judges, whether they are plaintiffs or defendants. He made these comments while addressing a workshop on strategic planning in Riyadh on Saturday. The only problem facing judges at the moment is ensuring that the woman appearing can be identified properly. He said this can be solved by employing women at court to confirm identities. “It is the judge's right to probe the identity of a woman standing before him, since there is no problem from the perspective of the Shariah. There are some cases that make it imperative for women to appear before a judge. We are now considering the possibility of appointing women to confirm the identity of litigants.” He said that five percent of cases require women to appear in court. Meanwhile, Sheikh Al-Huqail has described as “unjustifiable” that judges at the Board of Grievances are allowing cases to be extended by many months. He acknowledged the criticism of citizens about the delay in cases. “We won't be like ostriches that bury their heads in the sand.” “The work we see from judges does not measure up to standards. But the main reason behind this is the shortage in the number of judges and also the procrastination of litigants who are responsible for delaying up to 50 percent of cases.” “There is a study under way aimed at changing the pleading system, so that lawyers will not be allowed to speak during court sessions unless to question litigants. They will present their pleas in writing to save time and effort.” He said the Board of Grievances has worked out a three-year plan, contingent on certain electronic safeguards, that will allow pleading to be carried out electronically.
