The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that it issued licenses for 59 Saudi women to practice as lawyers during the current year. With this, the total number of licensed women lawyers reached 244, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Minister of Justice and President of the Supreme Judiciary Council Sheikh Walid Al-Samaani had recently issued directive to empower Saudi women with granting them a certificate of authentication, which gives them the jurisdiction to perform some of the tasks of notaries.
The annual statistical figures, monitored by the ministry, showed that there has been a significant increase in the number of women law graduates who want to opt for the profession of lawyers and demonstrate their competence in the profession.
The percentage of women lawyers who obtained license in 2017 posted an increase of 113 compared with the previous year. The ministry licensed a total of 83 women to practice as lawyers last year and this figure is much higher than the number of licenses issued over the previous years.
The ministry started an intensive program to enable the maximum number of Saudi women to take up this profession. These include the opening of the Judicial Training Center recently. The minister also announced introducing a new three-year diploma course in law for both Saudi men and women working in the ministry's departments and the holder of the diploma will be allowed to practice as lawyers.
During the last year of the course, the trainees will be given practical training in courts as well as in the law offices and legal departments of companies. The first batch will commence in Riyadh next academic year and the course will be introduced in other cities and regions of the Kingdom in a phased manner.
SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE
