RIYADH — The Saudi Ministry of Justice has introduced a new centralized court model as part of its continued efforts to improve the efficiency, quality, and consistency of judicial processes.

The initiative represents a significant reform across four key domains: legislative, procedural, professional, and technological.

The model, which has initially been rolled out to select labor courts at both the first instance and appellate levels, aims to establish advanced standards in how cases are processed and adjudicated.

In the legislative domain, the new system ensures that legal provisions are applied precisely to case facts.

Specialized judicial panels comprising qualified and experienced members are assigned to handle similar types of cases, fostering consistency in rulings and expediting case reviews.

On the procedural front, the model reduces dismissals due to jurisdictional issues by allowing cases to be adjudicated without being bound by geographical constraints.

Cases are distributed based on court capacity rather than physical location, helping to shorten the average duration of proceedings and optimize resource allocation.

Professionally, the model strengthens human capital within the judiciary by fostering expertise and specialization among judicial panels. It also integrates advanced skills and supports the development of a more capable and proficient judicial workforce.

Technologically, the model leverages artificial intelligence tools to enhance the quality and consistency of judicial rulings. AI is used to identify patterns in rulings and reduce discrepancies between similar cases. — SG