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JEDDAH: Saudi female lawyers welcomed the decision to open sections for women in courts, as they believe this move will facilitate procedures for women, especially in family and marital cases.
Minister of Justice Walid Al-Samaani approved the opening of new women’s sections in notary offices, and the creation of special areas to receive women to respect their privacy.
He also directed the quick preparation of trained female staff to work in women’s sections and notary offices to provide the necessary services with the required speed and accuracy.
Sawsan Al-Qadhi, a Saudi lawyer, believes that there is still a long way to go toward involving women in the Saudi judicial system. “This decision can be helpful in providing assistance for females and provide jobs for female graduates, but its ultimate impact is not enough for us as legal practitioners and lawyers,” she told Arab News.
She added: “It is not unusual for women to work in courts in ��������Ƶ; they have always been there, but mostly in charge of minor responsibilities like reconciliation, checking and guarding. I surely support opening up new fields of work for women, but I believe that women should have decision-making power just like men. We see young Saudi women working everywhere, but the working mechanism always depends on men.”
Asked about the future of women working in courts, she said that women may get the chance in the future to work as judicial assistants but they may not be able to get positions beyond that; it has to do with judicial law, which is known to be a complicated issue.
According to Abdul Aziz Al-Naser, an adviser to the minister of justice, women’s sections in notary offices in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Dammam, will open soon.
Al-Naser said in an interview on Saudi TV that these jobs would be offered to Saudi females holding master’s degrees in different fields.