Supreme Council of Magistracy of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المجلس الأعلى للقضاء) is a seven-eleven member council appointed by the King in the legal system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It supervises the lower courts of Saudi Arabia – overseeing judges' performances and new judicial appointments[1] – but also provides "legal opinions, advises the King, and reviews sentences involving death, stoning, or amputation". (according to a 2006 description of it from Washington Law University).[2] The Minister of Justice serves as the chief of the Council.[3][2]
As of a decree made January 2013, the council will be headed by the justice minister and its members will include the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia (which was created by later reforms), four Chiefs of the Court of Appeals, the deputy justice minister, chairman of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.[3] The term of office for the council members is four years, starting 15 January 2013.[3]
Members
As of a decree of January 2013, its members were
Mohammed al-Issa (Minister of Justice, president of the Supreme Council of Magistracy)[4]
Sheikh Ghaihab bin Mohammed Al-Ghaihab (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court)
Sheikh Shafi Al-Haqbani (Justice of the Court of Appeals)
Sheikh Mubasher Al-Gharman (Justice of the Court of Appeals)
Sheikh Saud Al-Muejib (Justice of the Court of Appeals)
Sheikh Mohammed Mirdad (Justice of the Court of Appeals)
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Nessar
Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohaimeed
Sheikh Fahd Al-Majed
Sheikh Farhan bin Yahya Al-Faify
Sheikh Saeed bin Brek Al-Garny
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jarallah
Sheikh Ibrahim bin Ali Al-Dhale
Shiekh Abdurahman bin Mohammed Al-Hussain
Shiekh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Wahaibi. [3]
Former members
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Yahya (former secretary-general of the council, relieved of his position in January 2013)
Sheikh Saleh Al Luhaidan (former chief justice of the Council,[5][6] relieved of his position in February 2009.[7])
^McDowall, Angus. "With eye on investors, Saudi Arabia plans training for judges". February 25, 2014. reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
^ ab"BACKGROUND AND LEGAL SYSTEM" (PDF). circa November 2006. Washington Law University. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
^ abcd"King reshuffles Supreme Judiciary Council and Ulema". Arab News. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
^"C V of Dr. Muhammad Abdul - Kareem Al - Issa - Saudi Minister of Justice" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2014.
^Myers, Lisa. "More evidence of Saudi doubletalk?". 4/26/2005. NBC News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014. Sheik Saleh Al Luhaidan, seen in video seated to the right of the crown prince, is chief justice of Saudi Arabia's Supreme Council of Magistracy. His sermons and words carry great significance. In an audiotape secretly recorded at a government mosque last October and obtained by NBC News, Luhaidan encourages young Saudis to go to Iraq to wage war against Americans. "If someone knows that he is capable of entering Iraq in order to join the fight, and if his intention is to raise up the word of God, then he is free to do so," says Luhaidan in Arabic on the tape. He warns Iraq is risky because "evil satellites and drone aircraft" watch the borders. But he says going is religiously permissible.
^"Saudi judge condemns 'immoral TV'". 12 September 2008. BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2014. The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia ... Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan ... speaking in response to a listener who asked his opinion on the airing of programmes featuring scantily-dressed women during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "There is no doubt that these programmes are a great evil, and the owners of these channels are as guilty as those who watch them," said the sheikh. "It is legitimate to kill those who call for corruption if their evil can not be stopped by other penalties."
^"Religious hard-liners take a hit in King's reshuffle". 2009-02-15. rfi English. Retrieved 22 May 2014. * The head of the Supreme Council of Magistracy: Out goes Sheikh Saleh al-Luhaidan, who issued an edict in September that ruled it permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV stations broadcasting content judged immoral;