Custody seekers face tougher court scrutiny

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Supreme Judicial Council in Riyadh has ordered judges to make more stringent inquiries into the suitability of parents seeking custody of their children particularly in cases involving domestic violence.

The purpose of the order is to protect the interests of children according to a recent report in local media.

The Supreme Judicial Council has also formed a committee to study cases of domestic violence in general and the best measures to tackle lawsuits linked to child custody. The Royal Court has ordered the council to carry out the study.

Saud Abdullah Almujib a member of the council confirmed that the study is currently under way and would cover several aspects of domestic violence in line with related laws and regulations.

The study would look into legal cases linked to guardianship and child custody and assess the fitness of parents in line with Islamic law said Almujib.

He said the study would also look at how other countries in the Arab world and globally deal with these issues. "One member of the committee was entrusted with the task of preparing a study on these experiences and advised to ensure the recommendations do not violate Shariah judgments" he said.

He said the committee has already had extensive discussions on various aspects of domestic violence including social and psychological issues.

The committee would study child custody and guardianship in terms of the daily experiences of judges dealing with such cases. He said the study would be completed soon.

The next step he said would be to submit the findings and results to the president and members of the council at its next session and later to the Royal Court for final approval.

The Royal Court commissioned the study because of the growing problem of domestic violence in the country and its impact on social and family structures.

"Domestic violence is closely linked to guardianship visiting rights and child custody cases and directly affects children socially and psychologically" said Almujib.

He said the study and other developments are part of the reforms under way in the judiciary. He said this includes setting up family courts to help speed up such cases and improve the quality of rulings.