The National reports on Saudi Arabia's efforts to codify its largely unwritten law in the face of opposition from religious conservatives.

"The absence of a penal code with clear definitions of crimes and appropriate sentences gives judges great latitude and it is not uncommon for a judge to increase a sentence if a defendant exercises his right to appeal," the paper says. "Defendants are not always given lawyers and trials are generally not open to the public."

Codification is needed partly for clarity and consistency but also to promote international trade and investment. The paper explains:

The kingdom’s accessions to the World Trade Organisation and the G20 club of influential economies also mean that its legal system should meet international guidelines for commercial transactions.

Indeed, Saudi Arabia’s 2005 entry to the WTO was an impetus for King Abdullah’s renewed effort to reform the legal system, something that his predecessors had tried twice before only to be stymied by the religious establishment ...

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 21 July 2010.