A woman has been appointed as a member of the Saudi Bar Association (SBA) board of directors for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Lawyers Authority, Dr. Walid bin Muhammad Al-Samaani, issued a decision to appoint five members to the Board of Directors for the third session.
The lawyers who have been named as members of the SBA board are Jasser Al-Jaser, Dr. Osama Al-Qahtani, Anas Al-Zamil, Dr. Luay Al-Aqas, and woman member Ether Al-Daej.
The Minister of Justice had approved the rules of professional conduct for lawyers. These rules aim to develop the legal profession and raise its professional standards to enhance the principles of transparency and responsibility.
The SBA aims to increase the level of professional practice of lawyers in order to:
ensure their good performance,
increase awareness of their professional duties and
improve the professional practice of lawyers in the Kingdom.
Also, the rules are aimed at strengthening legal protections for lawyers as well as their clients and redefining their responsibility towards clients, colleagues, judicial authorities and society.
The association wants to build a professional lawyers’ community capable of providing professional legal services to beneficiaries
The country in recent years adopted several reforms to empower women, including permitting women to drive cars, enter playgroups and stadiums, and pursue occupations that were previously accessible only to men.
After Saudi women were allowed to travel in the kingdom from 2019 onwards, they were also permitted to travel abroad without permission and apply for their passports, ID documents, and all official registrations directly without requiring a male guardian (mahram).
In February 2021, Saudi Arabia opened up military posts for women for the first time which allowed them to report through a unified portal.
In another first, Saudi female officers were also allowed to guard Islam’s holiest site.
