Saudi Arabia issues decree to limit excessive bureaucratic paperwork in courts

According to a statement released today by the Ministry of Justice, the royal decree directed that a mechanism be developed to replace submitting applications for case closers.

The mechanism is expected to be ready within no more than 90 days to limit the overflow of proceedings and disputes at the court.

A study conducted by a special committee for this matter revealed that the large number of requirements for case closers received by courts from government bodies for reasons that were adequate in the past are no longer valid in the presence of modern technology that links different agencies to each other.

The Ministry of Justice said the royal decree supported the goal of “limiting the flow of lawsuits in courts,” which is part of the National Transformation Program 2020 and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Walid Al-Samaani, believes the royal decree will contribute to finding a solution to the overflow of case closer requests in courts, which isn’t part of their original duty of resolving disputes.

“In addition to that, some case closers and disclaimers can easily be finalized without involving the court, and in a manner that serves the purpose of the government bodies submitting these case closers,” he added.

The ministry pointed out that more than 20 kinds of case closer requests from almost 30 government bodies and others are sent to the courts without coordinating with the Ministry of Justice.

It highlighted that the royal decree concerns all government departments and bodies and aims to review decisions issued by courts for case closers; improve the performance of these bodies in terms of verifying facts and making the right decision; ensure case closers are not requested from a court without coordinating with the ministry to hold joint meetings with the government bodies; find solution for problems; and develop agreements in this regard.