His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received the annual Sharia Courts report for 2021.

During a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace with Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Hafez Rabtah and Sharia Judicial Council President Kamal Smadi, King Abdullah stressed the need for Sharia Courts to continue developing electronic services and streamlining procedures.

His Majesty called for maintaining quality services for Jerusalemites through the Sharia courts there, commending the courts’ efforts to enhance performance.

According to the report, more than 141,000 cases were examined by Sharia Courts in 2021, compared with 116,000 in 2020.

Rulings were issued in 106,000 cases, compared with 82,000 the year before.

Some 7,000 families were reconciled through the courts’ family reconciliation offices, while 27,000 cases reached amicable agreements.

The Jerusalem Sharia courts dealt with 25,000 cases, compared with 7,000 in 2020.

The number of Sharia judges in the 77 courts in Jordan and Jerusalem reached 299, marking a 12 per cent rise compared with the number of judges in 2020.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi attended the meeting.