Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المشاورة الدينية العُلى) is an eleven-member council appointed by the King in the legal system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It supervises the lower courts of Saudi Arabia – overseeing judges' performances and new judicial appointments – but also provides "legal opinions, advises the King, and reviews sentences involving death, amputation of the head, or stoning" (according to a 2006 description of it from Washington Law University). The Minister of Justice serves as the chief of the Council.
Contents
As of a decree made January 2013, the council will be headed by the justice minister and its members will include the chief justice of the Supreme Court, four Chiefs of the Court of Appeals, the deputy justice minister, chairman of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution. The term of office for the council members is four years, starting 15 January 2013.
Members
As of a decree of January 2013, its members were