Saudi Arabia Essay

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THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE IN SAUDI ARABIA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by the Al Saud family in 1932 and continues to function as a monarchy under the founding family. The government of Saudi Arabia operates under the rubric of Sharia’h, which is also the foundation for Saudi Arabia’s constitution.
The Saudi constitution sets forth the system of governance, the rights of the citizens and the duties of the government to its citizens. CITE. The constitution also memorializes Saudi Arabia’s reliance on the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad as the basis of all laws in the Kingdom. [16] Specifically, Article 7 of the constitution enunciates the central role of Islamic Shari'ah in the Saudi governance system – stating that any authority afforded the government must find its foundation in the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet. CITE. The constitution also emphasizes the government’s role in protecting and propagating the principles of Islam. CITE.
The constitution defines the authorities provided to the government, namely (i) the executive authority, (ii) the regulatory authority and (iii) the judicial authority. Unlike the Western world, the three different authorities do not enjoy a true separation of powers. In fact, the King of Saudi Arabia closely oversees both the legislative and executive authorities and has the power to overturn decisions made by the judicial authority. The structure of each of the three authorities is discussed in detail below.
A. THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY
The executive authority encompasses the power to set the Kingdom’s economic, education and defense policies. The executive authority belongs to the King, a Council of Ministers and several government agencies. The...

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...ly encouraged reconciliation is unique to judicial systems based on Sharia law. Specifically, when Qisas crimes are being adjudicated, the judges in Saudi Arabia encourage the families of the victim to forgive the accused. As discussed above, Qisas crimes are crimes inflicted on a victim and, therefore, the decision to enforce punishment is awarded to the victim or his/her family. When such cases involve the death penalty, a judge will typically personally consult with the family of the victim to request forgiveness and acceptance of monetary compensation. If the family of the victim accepts the judge’s proposal, the imposition of the death penalty on the accused is avoided. This system is quite different from criminal adjudications in the Western world, where the government would proceed with punishment regardless of the wishes of the family of the victim.

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