“JUSTICE IN OMAN”

Introduction

Justice is a universal human value and one of the

fundamental pillars of a fair, civilized society everywhere in

the world without exception. Caring Leaders and ordinary

people are always concerned about justice and the justice

system in their country and how to make sure that all

people are equal before the law and all have equal

opportunities for a peaceful and prosperous life.

Justice is one of the most important ideals in any civilized

society. It is what we strive for to create a fair and equitable

world. It is a denial of justice not to offer your help and

support to those who have suffered, or are suffering, from

injustices and unfair treatment.

Justice is a very comprehensive term and it covers many

aspects not only the legal aspect: social justice,

environmental justice, and racial justice, and it penetrates

everything in our lives from home to the workplace.

There is a great difference between justice and charity.

Justice is a fundamental human right for all the members

of society: rich and poor, strong and weak, educated and

uneducated. It does not exclude anyone. Charity, on the

other hand, is a great human value whereby the rich, the

wealthy, and the able offer help and assistance to the poor

and the needy. It is an act of human kindness.

Most people think of justice in its legal aspect as something

related to the law, the court, the judges, the police, and the

government. This is why this legal aspect has been

developing a great deal throughout the history of mankind.

You find elaborate and very detailed laws about bylaws

about every aspect of legal conflicts, problems, and

disputes arising between two or more members of the

society. Everyone involved in the legal field is required to

adhere to the laws and strive

to achieve justice. Unfortunately, this does not always

happen and corruption creeps into the process to prevent

justice.

Omans’s legal system is based on a combination of Islamic

law (Sharia) and civil law principles. The judiciary is

independent, with the Sultan appointing judges. The legal

system encompasses both civil and criminal courts. In

criminal cases, the courts apply Islamic law principles

alongside modern legal codes. Punishments can include

fines, imprisonment, and in some cases corporal

punishment such as whipping or stoning for certain

offenses. However, in recent years, there have been efforts

to modernize the legal system and reduce the application of

corporal punishmet. In civil cases, the courts adjudicate

disputes based on civil law principles, including contracts,

property rights, and family law matters. The legal systems

aims to provide a fair and impartial resolution to disputes,

with resource to higher courts for appeals. Overall, Oman’s

legal system seeks to balance Islamic principles with

modern legal frameworks to ensure justice and uphold the

rule of law in country.

Unfortunately, Oman is a "primitive" and "chaotic" country

in terms of justice and its justice system is full of

loopholes, incompetence, and corruption. There are laws,

regulations, and specific instructions from the top, but they

are only ink on paper like many other countries in the

Middle East. Most of the officials at the top or bottom of the

government ladder do not respect these laws and

regulations and do not care whether you take them to court

or the Royal Diwan Court of the Sultan or die in grief in

your office or at home. Most of these officials are

incompetent, ignorant, stupid, uncivilized, and corrupt

down to their nails!

There is no "legal aid" for you if you take any official to

court, especially if you are an expatriate employee in the

private sector which is mostly controlled by ruthless and

corrupt businessmen. They will terminate your work

contract without giving you any reason or justification even

if you have worked very hard for them and even you have

done them great services or even if you have saved from

Hell. Most of them are selfish, merciless, unpatriotic, and

corrupt. They care only about filling out their pockets with

money at the expense of their fellow citizens and hard-

working expatriates even though Omani people are among

the friendliest people in the world. This is very true, except

for the officials most of whom, mistakenly, believe he is too

powerful to be taken to court or held accountable for any

injustices or wrongdoings. The victim is put into a cage like

an animal; the criminal is seated near the judge, looking at

the victim and enjoying the scene.

Corruption persists in Oman because corrupt people are

“protected” by the public prosecutors who fear them and

never dare to investigate their corruption, fraud, and

thievery. Corrupt officials and senior executives can do

whatever they like and can steal money in different ways

from the public sector or the private sector companies and

institutions without being held accountable to anyone.

They control almost everything in their companies and

organization as they control the two most important

functions: administration and finance; though these two

functions differ from one institution to another in terms of

size and scope. They also control, to a surprising degree,

the public prosecutors everywhere in the country. These

prosecutors would turn against anyone who submits any

corruption documents or tries to file complaints against

corrupt figures in the public or private sector.