Law of Saudi ArabiaModule 4
The judiciary and the legal professions: judicial independence, the court system and the Supreme Court, the Board of Grievances, the Public Prosecution, and lawyers, notaries and legal consultants
A person who deals with Saudi law needs to know which court hears which dispute. The Basic Law says that judges are independent and subject to no authority except Sharia (Article 46) and that the right of litigation is guaranteed equally to citizens and residents (Article 47). Since the judicial reforms of 2007 the Kingdom has a modern structure of specialised courts, general, criminal, personal status, commercial and labour courts, with courts of appeal and a Supreme Court above them, separate execution courts that enforce judgments and, outside this ladder, the Board of Grievances, which hears disputes with the government as administrative courts. The Public Prosecution investigates and prosecutes crime and answers directly to the King. Arabic is the language of the courts, and lawyers must be licensed by the Ministry of Justice; a foreign lawyer cannot appear in the courts, though licensed foreign firms may advise. This module gives the map of the institutions and the practical rules for using them.
This course explains the law of Saudi Arabia, not US law. Rules that look the same elsewhere may be different.
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See what is included in the Courses & AI Lab Pass →General education on the law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using invented people and businesses. It states laws and procedures in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law and its practice change, and every case turns on its facts, the current regulations and the authority concerned. It does not offer legal representation or a legal opinion on any case. Consult a lawyer licensed in the Kingdom for any real matter.
This course was written on 6 November 2026. To the best of our knowledge, it describes the law of Saudi Arabia as it stood on that date. Laws change, and we may have missed or misunderstood something. If you notice a change, or have other information, please do not hesitate to contact us: we will review it and update the course. We do not claim to be the final source of the law.
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