Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Supreme Judiciary Council member Muhammad Amin Mirdad, who has worked for over 25 years in the judiciary system and had received many threats from different people, said the physical assaults against judges need to be deterred by pertinent security forces. He described the recent assault on a judge at the Execution Court of Madinah City as an assault on the judiciary system.

Assault can be verbal or physical. Some people criticize the judges and sometimes threaten them verbally. Courts have registered similar assault cases and some of them have ended tragically, as a judge was killed in one of the cities.

The person who has recently assaulted the judge in Madinah was angry and asked the judge to unblock his bank accounts.

Any calls or demands to permit judges to carry licensed private guns are not logical nor acceptable, let alone it can aggravate the situation. He called upon judges to deal nicely and kindly with the members of the public who come to court, especially those who might think that the court has not handled their case fairly and justly. He said judges should not escalate the situation nor be confrontational.

Pertinent security authorities should maximize protection at all judiciary facilities and establish a justice police force.

He also said surveillance cameras should be installed inside judges’ offices to capture everything that goes on inside. This suggestion has been made before but not yet implemented.

Judges and staff members should be given more intensive courses on how to deal with the general public. He called for imposing strict penalties on assaulters.