RIYADH: Since the launch of e-litigation service in March last year, courts in Saudi Arabia have held 1.2 million video sessions, said a Justice Ministry statement on Tuesday. According to the ministry, these remote courts issued 438,000 verdicts during the same period. The new service, brought in under the direction of Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani, is part of the digital transformation process taking place in the ministry. E-services include the exchange of pleadings, submission of documents, remote hearings and proceedings, the pronouncing of verdicts, the issuing of copies of judgments, and challenging them before the higher court. Electronic hearings allow parties to plead in writing and exchange and submit pleadings. They also give the judiciary the chance to ask questions, to which parties respond in writing while attaching relevant documentation. Video conferencing enables the judiciary to listen to the parties, complete litigation procedures and pronounce judgments.