saudi arabia is an exceptional case in the legal history of the muslim world. it has always continued to use sharia in different areas of law, and it never codified its laws. its judges have always tried to follow traditional sharia rules for dealing with crimes, and they often impose harsh punishments that inspire international protests. however, these punishments are not necessarily prescribed by sharia. judges in saudi arabia follow the classical principle which says that "hudud" punishments should be avoided if at all possible, and the punishments which they apply are usually "tazir" punishments which are left to their own choice. saudi arabia is often criticized for its public executions, and their frequency has increased in recent decades. executions became more frequent because the government and courts decided to crack down on violent crime which became more frequent during the 1970s, as also happened in the u.s. and china.