Saudi Arabia, in a major step, announces legal reforms paving the way for codified law

Saudi Arabia, in a major step, announces legal reforms paving the way for codified law

Saudi Arabia has announced new judicial reforms, putting the kingdom on a path to codified law “” a huge step, considering the deeply conservative country has no codified legal system to accompany the Sharia, or Islamic law, which is currently in place.  

"The Personal Status Law, the Civil Transactions Law, the Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions, and the Law of Evidence represent a new wave of judicial reforms in the Kingdom," Saudi state news agency SPA quoted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying late Monday evening. 

The reforms, the crown prince said, "will help with the prediction of court rulings, the increase of the level of integrity and efficiency of judicial institutions, and will contribute to the increase of the reliability of procedures and control mechanisms." The new laws are to be announced over the course of 2021, according to his statement.The news is the latest in a series of dramatic economic and social reforms launched by the 35-year-old crown prince aimed at modernizing the kingdom. It fits into his Vision 2030 agenda which aims to diversify the economy away from oil and attract foreign talent and investment to the kingdom, and comes as Saudi Arabia pitches itself as a destination