Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH —

The Justice Training Center in Riyadh has concluded a five-week-long program for training the appellate judges of the recently-launched labor courts.

The training course focused on labor related matters, including the Labor Law and its executive regulations, the characteristics of the Labor Law, class action, the Insurance Law, insurance disputes, contract theory and its applications, as well as guarantees and compensations.

“The program aimed to prepare judges for hearing labor disputes in a manner that ensures swiftness and efficiency,” said the Ministry of Justice in a statement. “In addition to practical aspects, the training agenda also introduced four main fields: Shariah, laws, procedures, and ethics.”

Labor courts were officially launched in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 29, 2018. The courts use integrated paperless procedures, making processes easier for clients and enabling swift decisions on cases.

“The Saudi Ministry of Justice aims to provide judges with the professional and personal skills that make them proficient in the various aspects of labor justice,” a ministry source said. “They have been selected based on the legal and scholarly qualifications needed, and also taking into account their judicial experience.”

The first phase of labor justice included opening seven labor courts in Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Abha, Dammam, Buraidah, and Madinah, in addition to 27 labor panels in various cities and nine tripartite labor panels at six appellate courts in various regions.