DHAKA: Four Saudi lawyers have made history by becoming the first women to practice law in the kingdom’s courts.

Bayan Zahran, Jihan Qurban, Sarra Al Omari and Ameera Quqani were on Sunday given the licences that allow them to change their status from legal consultants to attorneys.

The change means that the ban imposed on female law graduates to practice law in the courtroom and own and operate law firms will be lifted.

It follows years of relentless requests and moves by several women to allow them to use their law degrees, reports gulfnews.com.

The impact of the ministry’s decision will be enormous on the local court system where women embroiled in divorce and custody cases have often complained of bias in favour of husbands.

They will now see the presence of practicing women lawyers as a new opportunity for greater justice.

BDST: 1753 HRS, OCT 07, 2013
RoR/SRS