Court, as an appellate, if a nullification of the proceedings affects the judgment. In this regard, the
Department of Shari’a Procedures has jurisdiction over such cases. Hence, the litigants have the
right to challenge the judgment before the Court of Cassation - the apex of the judicial pyramidto achieve justice. This court is allowed to verify the correct implementation of the law and the
realization of justice.
20. In this respect, the National Institution values the procedures that preceded and coincided with
the promulgation of the Family Law, through the issuance of the Royal Order forming a Shari’a
Committee to review the draft Family Law. The committee included ten scholars from the Sunni
jurisprudence and the Ja’afari jurisprudence. It is specialized in studying the draft Family Law,
reviewing its provisions, and ensuring that it conforms to the provisions of the Islamic Shari’a.
The committee submits to the Royal Court a report containing the results of its work and its
recommendations on the draft law referred to herein. The work of the committee ends with the
promulgation of the Family Law according to the constitutional procedures in place.
21. Moreover, it commends the pioneering initiative of establishing the Family Court Complex, which
was founded in compliance with the Royal Order of by His Majesty the King- May God protect
him- and upon the recommendation of Her Royal Highness the President of the Supreme Council
for Women. It aims to establish a separate building that provides privacy for litigant spouses and
keeps their children away from the halls of the court, provide greater privacy to the parties to the
proceedings, contribute to strengthening social stability, and consider the psychological conditions
surrounding personal status issues.
22. In the context of providing legal protection of the family, in general, and of women, in particular, Law
No. (17) of 2015 on Protection from Domestic Violence provides a very important legal framework
for the protection of child and family rights. The Law considers domestic violence to be any act of
abuse within the family by one of its members against another, whether the act of abuse is physical,
psychological, sexual, or economic.
23. With regard to protection of women, in practice, in 2015, the National Strategy for the Protection
of Women against Domestic Violence was launched. Throughout the preparation stages of this
Strategy, it adopted the principle of full partnership with the concerned parties from the ministries,
official institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations in order to translate these this
Strategy into a detailed plan of action based on a specific timeframe that is measured by quantitative
and qualitative indicators to assist in the monitoring and evaluation processes.
24. In order to provide the greatest possible stability of the family, Law No (34) of 2005 amended by
Law No. (33) of 2009 established the Alimony Fund, which regulated all the matters related to
alimony and its disbursement rules, with granting women, whether a wife or a divorcee, priority
debts when competing arrears of maintenance.
25. Concerning the implementation of the civil rights of women in particular, especially the right to life,
and specifically with regard to the death penalty, the Code of Criminal Procedures promulgated
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