Source : SG / 30 Nov 2013

Despite the Ministry of Justice assertion that judges have no reservations in dealing with female lawyers, many female attorneys disclosed that they were forced to come with their ‘mahrams’ (male guardians) to the court for identification, Al-Watan Arabic language daily reported on Thursday.

A female lawyer, who obtained a license for practicing law, said that she was forced by judges to bring a male relative to identify her in every court session, ignoring her national identity card.

Another female lawyer said that she was ordered to leave the courtroom and was allowed entry only when she brought a mahram.

The judges reportedly want to make sure that the holder of the national identity card is actually a female lawyer, not someone else. Since there are no female employees in the court to verify a lawyer’s identity, the onus lies on the female lawyer to prove her bona fide by bringing her mahram.

The female lawyers said this nullifies the purpose of the national identity card.

Al-Watan newspaper said that it tried to contact the official spokesman of the Ministry of Justice Fahd Al-Bakran, but he did not answer the calls.

In an earlier report, Al-Watan mentioned that the Ministry of Justice had clarified that judges have no reservations in dealing with female lawyers.

The adviser to the Minister of Justice, Abdullah Al-Sa’dan, said at that time that some of the judges might have some issues, but all these have been cleared.