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Thursday, August 26, 2010


Attorney advocates alternative penalty system
Khalid Al-Nowaiser
By ARAB NEWS
Published: Aug 26, 2010 
JEDDAH: A Saudi attorney called for a law eliminating imprisonment as a penalty for infringing upon certain private rights as part of efforts to modernize the country’s legal system.
Cases involving debts and nonviolent offenses (other than fraud, theft, bounced checks and alimony cases) should not lead to the imprisonment of an offender, said Khalid Al-Nowaiser.
Creditors should call for other remedies rather than imprisonment of debtors who can’t pay back their loans, he added.
Al-Nowaiser suggested alternatives to imprisonment, such as seizing assets or establishing liens, a travel ban on the offender, the freezing of bank accounts or garnishing wages. By employing these means, creditors would be fully protected without denying the debtor his ability to earn a living to pay back the debt.
Al-Nowaiser added that the bail of indemnity should be canceled and replaced by a financial bail, because the bail of indemnity is a clear and direct call for imprisonment, not only for debtors but also for their guarantors. As a result, both he who incurs the debt and the person who guarantees it expose themselves to the possibility of imprisonment, thus affecting their families, friends and employers. He said that a prison is a place for criminals, fraudsters and cheaters, not for insolvent persons.
He added that there are many negative consequences arising from imprisonment, because one’s incarceration becomes a gateway to criminality, mental illness and exposure to violence.
Meanwhile, the family of the imprisoned debtor loses the income and the support of the family member. Al-Nowaiser said the cost of incarceration is about SR11,000 per month per prisoner.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010


Saudi attorney forges alliance with Indian law firm
Saudi Ambassador to India Faisal bin Hassan Trad, second left, with Indian Federal Minister of Corporate Affairs Salman Khurshid, right, Attorney Khalid Al-Nowaiser, left, and Rohit Kochhar of Kochhar and Company in New Delhi. (AN photo)
By ARAB NEWS
Published: Aug 10, 2010 
NEW DELHI: Saudi Attorney Khalid Al-Nowaiser has said his law firm has entered into a strategic alliance with the Indian law firm, Kochhar and Co., to serve the interests of clients doing business in Saudi Arabia and India.
Kochhar and Co. is one of the largest law firms in India and has many international branches, including those in the United States, Singapore and Japan.
Al-Nowaiser commended the efforts made by Saudi Ambassador in India Faisal bin Hassan Trad in developing the relations between the two countries, including the new alliance between the Saudi and Indian law firms.
He said the relationship with Kochhar is the beginning of a “unique partnership between Saudi and Indian law firms in terms of quality and quantity of services.”
Cooperation between the two parties will not be limited to removing legal obstacles only, but will also focus on helping Saudi and Indian businessmen in investments and identifying future opportunities for bilateral joint ventures, he added.
The agreement requires each law firm to send its team to the other’s country to receive training and exchange and gain valuable legal experience. The two firms will strive to serve many multinational corporations, including the 500 largest companies in the world. Al-Nowaiser Law Firm will now be able to represent Indian companies working in the Kingdom. Similarly, Kochhar will represent Saudi companies in India.