Article 31 of the Saudi Agriculture Law

This article identifies the body that hears the most serious violations in the Agriculture Law, which are those in Article 28: manufacturing or importing a banned or adulterated pesticide, harming any kind of animal resources, importing or bringing in banned agricultural resources without the Ministry's approval, and obstructing the work of inspectors. The competent court hears these violations, and it imposes the penalties set in Article 28 (imprisonment for no more than five years, a fine of no more than SAR 10,000,000, or either).

In addition to those penalties, the article gives the court discretionary powers, meaning it uses them as it sees fit:

• Confiscating the seized items that are the subject of the violation, such as adulterated pesticides.
• A daily fine for each day the violator continues the violation after being notified of the judgment, counted from the date the judgment itself specifies.
• Doubling the penalty if the violator returns to the violation.
• Publishing a summary of the judgment at the violator's expense in a local newspaper published in his place of residence, or in the nearest region to him if there is no newspaper, or by any other suitable means, according to the type of violation and its gravity and effect. Publication takes place only after the judgment becomes final.

This is complemented by Article 32, which allows the Minister or his delegate to suspend an activity as a precaution and refer the violation to the competent court or the committee, as the case may be. Anyone facing a charge of one of these violations would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.