Saudi Arabia has created an unnecessary problem for itself. In the name of fairness and development, it permits women to attend law school and obtain their degrees. In the name of the social preference toward keeping men and women separate, it doesn’t permit women to actually practice law in the courts. What results, as this Arab News article reports, is rising levels of frustration as women, eager to dive into the trenches of law, are thwarted before they walk in the door.

The Ministry of Justice – responsible for the courts and law in general – dangles the carrot of ‘jobs, soon’. When pressed, though, all it has to offer is jobs as mediators. Mediators need common sense more than they need profound expertise in law, so the female lawyers aren’t exactly thrilled with the prospect.

Women to work at Justice Ministry’s offices ‘soon’
FATIMA SIDIYA | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: Saudi women law graduates on Tuesday expected a promise from Minister of Justice Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa to give them licenses to start working as lawyers. Instead, he promised them they would be allowed to work at reconciliation offices without any mention of the actual practice of women lawyers at Saudi courts.

These women graduated from law and Shariah specializations at seven colleges and universities throughout the Kingdom that had started programs for women in 2008.

Al-Issa was answering a question from law graduate Bayan Zahran, who asked about the ministry’s efforts to enroll women law graduates into the ministry. “We have a huge project to initiate certified reconciliation offices. We are waiting for the system to be implemented, after which women will be able to work there to reduce the number of cases passed on to courts,” the minister said. “Some cases might need only a suggestion or consultation, and we expect these offices to solve the disputes, especially in personal affairs.”
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