Business & Money | Thursday 22 January, 2015 12:31 am |

The Saudi judicial system has left its impact on the integrity of the judicial process, according to the head of the American Bar Association (ABA), William Hubbard.
Hubbard made his observation during his meeting with Minister of Justice Mohammed Al-Issa who received him at his office in the capital recently.
Hubbard said this is borne out by the fact that Saudi lawyers have international presence, while the world’s largest office in the legal profession also operates in Saudi Arabia in view of its importance in global trade.

“We expect to increase this presence in the coming years, and the establishment of the arbitration center in the KSA stands as an example of the evolution of the justice system in the country,” he said, adding: “We see that Riyadh is bound to be an international law center in the near future.”
Al-Issa welcomed the American lawyers’ delegation and underlined the importance of cooperation in matters of procedures, systems and techniques for administration of justice between the two countries.
He made a presentation on the judicial system in the Kingdom with special focus on the high-tech project under the name of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah that seeks to develop judicial facilities and its achievements.

Al-Issa stressed the independence of the legal profession in Saudi Arabia, noninterference in its professional work, and the role of the Ministry of Justice, which is limited to general supervision of the proper functioning of the legal profession, according to the system.

He pointed out that there is a national committee of Saudi lawyers working on a new regulation, which is expected to give the profession greater support. He noted that Saudi lawyers have a global presence in terms of international partnerships with many institutions related to the legal profession.
The ABA president also invited their Saudi lawyers to attend international conferences and meetings such as the summit of international law, which will take place in London, Hong Kong and China, and has a distinct judicial system, which would benefit them immensely.