The Real Issue Raised by the Qatif Verdict
by Dr. May Al-Dabbagh from Arab News (Saudi Arabia)
This is the time to seriously consider the scope and purpose of our judicial reform. The legitimacy of our entire justice system is unquestionably a matter of public policy. There are thousands (if not more) of undocumented stories of injustice in our courts. Not all are as wretched as the fate of the Qatif girl but all are dishearteningly unjust. The King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue should take it upon itself to address this issue as a national priority and a matter of public service. There is a real need to document the experiences that women and men have had in our courts (both as defendants and lawyers) to understand how we can better improve this public service. Never has there been a more appropriate time to present and implement an alternative transparent regulatory legal framework that does not depend on the discretion of an individual. Let us dream of a country that truly feels safe and inclusive — a country that we can call our own.