RIYADH: Participants in the second judicial course for Filipino judges, held recently at the Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University, have commended the Kingdom’s government for prioritizing the spread of Islamic knowledge and its commitment to serving Muslims.
The two-week course at the university’s Higher Judicial Institute was aimed at enhancing the skills of Filipino judges, and facilitate the exchange of expertise between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
This year’s course, which concluded on Feb. 12, was the second for Filipino judges. The first course was held in 2022.
The program is part of a series of international judicial training programs organized by the institute in collaboration with countries worldwide. Judges from Malaysia, Indonesia, Comoros, and several other African nations have also participated.
These initiatives aim to foster international cooperation and exchange judicial expertise, further solidifying the Kingdom’s leadership in this field, the SPA reported.
Filipino judges and scholars of the Higher Judicial Institute pose for a souvenir picture at the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University ion Riyadh. (SPA)
Islamic law is partially applied in the Christian-majority Philippines and is applicable only to Filipino Muslims. Shariah courts are supervised by the country’s Supreme Court.
Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed a law expanding the Shariah judicial system in the Philippines to cover not only the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao but also other regions.
Under the new law, the Shariah courts have jurisdiction over civil affairs for Muslim communities, including family matters, marriage, and inheritance. Criminal cases remain under the authority of national courts.
