The stepping up of punishment for women follows increasing concern over the position of women in Saudi society. Not only are punishments cruel, the legal procedures are positively medieval. There is no independent judiciary, sentencing is arbitrary and the justice system is manipulated by well-connected and politically powerful people. There is no publicly disseminated penal code or code of criminal procedures and the king has sweeping powers to appoint and dismiss judges and create special courts. Under regulations issued by the Minister of the Interior in 1983, detainees have no rights to judicial review, habeas corpus, to legal counsel, to examine witnesses or even to call witnesses to speak in their defence.
Saudi laws permit convictions based upon uncorroborated confessions.
Crimes involving national security are so broadly defined that they encompass all non-violent opposition to the government. The government owns all the domestic radio and TV stations and closely monitors the privately owned but publicly subsidised print media. It allows no criticism of Islam, the ruling family or the government. Foreign publications are routinely censored or banned. Telephones are frequently tapped and mail interfered with.