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Court types and their specialization in Saudi Arabia

There are many types of courts within the country's judicial system, according to the website of the Ministry of Justice. There are three types of courts.

The Supreme Court comes at the top, followed by the courts of appeal, then the courts of first instance at the bottom of the judicial hierarchy. The Saudi court system consists of three main parts. The largest Sharia courts are the ones that hear most cases in the Saudi judicial system.

Sharia courts are organized into several categories:

Courts of First Instance (Divisional and General Courts).

Courts of Cassation.

Supreme Judicial Council.

Type 1: The Supreme Court

According to the Saudi judicial system, there is only one Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia. This court supervises the implementation of Islamic rulings and decrees issued by the Saudi monarch, following with them in matters within the authority of the general judicial system.

Type 2: Appellate Courts

According to the Saudi judicial system, there are one or more courts of appeal in each region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are called the courts of the second instance, and they review judgments issued by the courts of the first instance that are subject to appeal within the scope of their authority.

Type 3: First Instance Courts

Courts of the first instance are found in all governorates and regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are charged with considering all cases that fall within the authority of each of them. Judgments issued by the courts of the first instance are subject to appeal, except those issued in minor cases determined by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Courts

Courts of First Instance

Courts of first instance deal with a variety of cases, which are divided into five types:

General Courts:

They are entrusted with all cases and final evidence which fall outside the authority of other courts, the notary public, or the grievance court.

Criminal Courts:

They exist in the various governorates and regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Also, they deal with all criminal cases and all matters on which; the judgment of a criminal case depends before the same court unless otherwise provided for in the system.

Marriage Courts:

Available in different governorates and regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Matrimonial courts deal with all marital cases.

Business Courts:

Available in various governorates and regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Business courts deal with all major and successive commercial disputes.

Labor Courts:

They exist in the various governorates and regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Labor courts deal with labor disputes of all kinds and forms.