Judicial Studies and Nizahat: Integration of National Efforts to Protect Public Funds and Combat Corruption

This came during a panel discussion organized by the Institute at its headquarters in collaboration with the Authority, under the title “Legal, Supervisory, and Security Integration in Protecting Public Funds and Combating Corruption,” as part of the institutional partnership and to activate the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties.

Dr. Bader Al-Musaid, First Advisor and Director of the Kuwait Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies, said in his address that protecting public funds is not merely an administrative or financial duty, but a shared legal and national responsibility linked to safeguarding state resources, enhancing trust in institutions, and consolidating principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Al-Musaid added that the panel discussion holds significant national and institutional importance due to the legal, supervisory, and security integration in protecting public funds and combating corruption. He clarified that confronting corruption in light of the development of financial and technological transactions requires moving from addressing violations after they occur to building an integrated system for prevention, early detection, and accountability.

He pointed out the importance of integration among three main pathways: the legal pathway, through developing legislation and ensuring its proper implementation; the supervisory pathway, by strengthening preventive oversight, risk analysis, and early detection of violations; and the security pathway, through developing investigative and inquiry tools, collecting evidence, and tracing funds derived from crimes, while respecting legal safeguards.

He also highlighted the importance of specialized training and capacity building in legal, supervisory, and security fields to keep pace with developments, particularly the opportunities and challenges posed by modern technologies and artificial intelligence in detecting and combating corruption crimes.

Al-Musaid affirmed the commitment of the “Judicial Studies Institute” and “Nizahat” to providing platforms for dialogue and exchange of expertise, and enhancing cooperation with national institutions to contribute to the development of institutional practices and support the public fund protection system in the State of Kuwait.

For her part, Dr. Rana Al-Faris, Chairperson of the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (“Nizahat”), emphasized the importance of integrating legal, supervisory, and security roles in protecting public funds and combating corruption. She stressed that safeguarding public money is a national responsibility that requires the concerted efforts of relevant authorities, integration of expertise, and continuous cooperation and institutional dialogue.

She stated that protecting public funds is linked to society’s right to its resources and the state’s ability to fulfill its commitments and achieve development. She noted that this responsibility is based on a solid constitutional foundation, as Article 17 of the Constitution of the State of Kuwait stipulates that “public funds are inviolable, and their protection is obligatory on every citizen.”

She explained that this principle is embodied in the penal legislation system in the State of Kuwait, including the Penal Code and its complementary laws, such as Law No. 1 of 1993 concerning the Protection of Public Funds, Law No. 2 of 2016 concerning the Establishment of the Public Authority for Combating Corruption, and provisions related to the disclosure of financial status and its amendments, all of which enhance the protection of public funds and hold perpetrators of offenses against them accountable.

She emphasized that safeguarding public funds and consolidating the rule of law is a common goal that requires concerted efforts, integration of expertise, and continuous responsible dialogue. She expressed pride in the partnership between “Nizahat” and the “Judicial Studies Institute” and the commitment to continue activating it to achieve common objectives and contribute to serving the State of Kuwait and safeguarding its resources.

The panel discussion, which featured specialists from relevant authorities, shed light on the legislative framework for protecting public funds and combating corruption. It also reviewed the supervisory and preventive role in enhancing integrity and protecting public funds, as well as the security role in detecting crimes against public funds and the procedures for investigation and inquiry.

Participants in the roundtable discussion emphasized the sanctity of public funds, noting that holding a public office is not merely an assignment or responsibility, but a duty imposed by national responsibility and legal rules. They clarified that safeguarding and preserving public funds is an obligation incumbent upon every citizen.

They pointed out that the Kuwaiti legislator has afforded special protection to public funds, the fight against corruption, and the preservation of the integrity of public office by enshrining these principles in the Law on the Protection of Public Funds, the Kuwaiti Penal Code, and related legislation.

They stressed that protecting public funds and combating corruption are not merely legal provisions that criminalize anyone proven to have misappropriated public funds; rather, they constitute a comprehensive system that begins with legislation and the sound management of public funds and public office, followed by monitoring expenditure and the implementation of functional laws, and culminates in the actual enforcement of legal provisions and the pursuit and accountability of anyone proven to have misappropriated public funds.

The roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Al-Muqalled, Advisor and Deputy Director of the Institute’s Relations, Communications, and Research Sector, was attended by Saud Al-Sanea, Advisor and Deputy Director of the Institute’s Continuous and Specialized Training Sector; Abdulhamid Al-Hammar, Director of the Legal Affairs Department and Acting Director of the Technical Office Department at “Nizahat”; and Major Salem Al-Humaidah, representative of the Financial Crimes Investigation Department at the Ministry of Interior.