RIYADH, Oct 5: Saudi Arabia has announced an overhaul of its judicial system. King Abdullah approved the establishment of a Supreme Court as well as commercial, personal status and labour tribunals.

Saudi officials and lawyers say the new judicial system, outlined in a royal decree, would revolutionise the kingdom’s justice system.

“The new Judiciary Law and Court of Grievances Law were prepared with utmost care and will bring about a qualitative change in the kingdom’s judicial system,” Justice Minister Abdullah Al-Asheikh was quoted by the Saudi daily Arab News as saying.

To this date, judges have complete discretion to set aside sentences, except in cases where Shariat outlines a punishment, such as capital crimes. Judges have had wide discretion to issue rulings according to their own interpretation of Islamic Shariat law.

The problems over sentencing were exacerbated by these loose trial rules, in which physical evidence sometimes is not presented. Judges have been handing over varying sentences in similar offences and this has come under heavy criticism for rights bodies.

King Abdullah also announced a budget of 7 billion riyals (US$1.8bn) “for the King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz project to revamp the judicial sector, aimed at upgrading the judiciary and developing it in a comprehensive and integrated manner,” said the royal decree.

The new Judiciary and Court of Grievances Laws stresses the independence of the judges and calls for the establishment of specialised courts, including personal status, commercial, penal and labour tribunals.