By Saeed Al-Suraihi
Okaz
THE Judicial Conduct Commission at the Supreme Judiciary Council has issued 37 disciplinary decisions against judges over the past two years. Eleven of the judges were dismissed from service permanently while 26 others were blamed for the wrong actions they took in various cases. The report of the judges appeared recently in Al-Madina daily. If anything, these decisions prove that the judges are not exempt from punishment and the rule of law and they are not immune from being held accountable for any wrong action. After all, judges are public officials who have a duty to carry out and requirements to meet.
Many people, however, still think that judges can make a wrongful action in the line of their duty and get away with it. This is not true. In fact, people think that the worst thing that can happen to a judge over a misconduct is to have his judgments overruled by the Court of Appeals or have the case transferred to another jurisdiction. This is also not true.
But can we blame people if this is what they think? The fact of the matter is that a large number of people have this misconception or wrong idea about the independence of the judiciary. Perhaps that is why people think that judges are immune and are not accountable. Perhaps they think so because the judges who commit mistakes or violate judicial laws are held accountable in complete secrecy away from the eyes of the public.
While we can understand why judges who are involved in misconduct are held accountable secretly, we cannot understand why the judges who issue clearly wrong judgments are not being held accountable in public. I am strongly for making the public completely aware of the punishment imposed on such judges, particularly those issue wrong judgments. By doing so we will restore people›s trust in the judicial system and judges as well.
