By Adnan Al-Shabrawi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Three courts have refused to accept a lawsuit by a private establishment against National Water Company (NWC) on the ground that the case was not within their jurisdiction.

The private company, which has not been named, took the case to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to seek guidance on the competent court which should look at the case.

According to judicial sources, the council said it was the Commercial Court which should consider the case.

The three courts which refused to take up the case were the General Court in Riyadh, the Commercial Court and the Administrative Court.

According to the sources, the private company sued the NWC on differences on the execution of a sewage water project.

A committee on settling the differences over specialties of the SJC decided that it was the Commercial Court which was competent enough to adjudicate on the case.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry said the commercial courts and circuits have issued as many as 3,456 rulings last month with an increase of 29 percent over the number of verdicts the previous month.

The ministry said the courts issued 157 average daily verdicts in all parts of the Kingdom.

There are a number of commercial courts and commercial circuits in many general courts in the Kingdom.