What is e-Litigation in Saudi Arabia
E-Litigation is a digital system launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice on May 28, 2022, that allows parties to submit legal pleadings electronically, exchange documents and attend virtual court hearings. The system preserves judicial rights through principles of confrontation and public hearing transparency.
Background
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice rolled out something that’s changing how courts operate. On May 28, 2022, they launched e-Litigation, a digital system that lets lawyers and parties handle lawsuits online.
This is not just about convenience. The system was built to protect the rights everyone expects in court. Two principles sit at the core of how it works: your right to see what the other side is doing, and the right to have your case heard fairly and openly.
Features
The e-Litigation platform handles the entire litigation process electronically. You can submit documents, exchange legal memoranda with the opposing party, ask questions of the court, and get answers in writing. You can also attend hearings through video sessions.
To use it, you need an account on Nafath, the Unified National Access Service. Once you are in, you can view all documents in your case file anytime.
The court is not allowed to conduct e-Litigation proceedings anywhere but on the official platform or systems the Ministry approved. This keeps everything secure and properly recorded.
The System Allows Two Ways To Have Your Hearing
There are written and video hearings.
In a written hearing, you are required to submit all the legal documents along with all the legal memoranda. Then, the court proceeds to question you through the platform, to which you must respond in writing and with documents that you will be supplementing on your system that would strengthen your arguments.
In a video hearing, you are required to enter the court room virtually and you serve as a witness. You will be cross examined, evidence will be shown and the ruling will be made by the judge. And all of these must be recorded by the court.
How the Rules Work
In the case where the court sends you a hearing notice, that will serve as your official summons. Being aware of the hearing through the platform means that you have been correctly served.
In the case of written hearings, you will be considered present if you submit take documents before the deadline that the court or the system administrator has set. In the case of video hearings, you will be considered present only if you enter the system withing 30 minutes of the scheduled start time.
Did you miss that window? The court applies their usual policies with respect to no-shows. That is, if they confirm that you received the notification and the hearing link.
When Paper Still Wins
There are situations where electronic litigation is not possible. In these cases, the court may return to the traditional format of in-person hearings. Regulations concerning the testimony, the oaths, and the formalities remain unchanged no matter how the hearing is conducted.
The Ministry continues to adjust operational directives as the system develops and as users of the system create new question and answer pairs.
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