Article 84 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 84 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
If a violation is punishable under the Law of Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage and under another law, the more severe penalty is applied.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كانت المخالفة معاقباً عليها بموجب هذا النظام ونظام آخر؛ فتطبق العقوبة الأشد.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 84 explained in plain English
This article deals with the case of several laws punishing the same act.
- The case: a violation is punishable under this Law and under another law at the same time.
- The rule: the more severe penalty is applied.
The aim of this rule is that the violator should not benefit from a lighter penalty in one of the laws; if a single act falls under provisions in two different laws, the penalty applied is the more severe of the two.
For example, a person commits an act that is a violation of this Law and at the same time a violation of another law that punishes it with a different penalty; the more severe of the two penalties is applied to him. The article does not name the other laws or set out the test for deciding which is more severe; that is for the judiciary when it considers each case.
Note that the article provides for applying the more severe penalty and does not provide for combining the two penalties.
This article comes after Article 83, which punishes attempt to commit a violation by no more than half of the maximum penalty prescribed, and before Article 85, which allows doubling the maximum penalty in cases of repeat offending and publication of the judgment at the violator's expense.
Anyone facing an accusation under this Law and another law at the same time would be wise to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases to assess the penalty that must be applied.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 84 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
What if an antiquities violation is also punishable under another law?
The more severe penalty is applied.
Are the penalties under both laws added together?
The article provides for applying the more severe penalty, and does not provide for combining them.
More articles on Recording Antiquities Violations and Confiscation
- Article 78
The smuggling provisions of the Unified Customs Law of the Gulf Cooperation Council states apply to smuggling antiquities, and the Customs Authority hands seized antiquities over to the Authority.
تطبق على تهريب الآثار الأحكام الخاصة بالتهريب، المنصوص عليها في نظام (قانون) الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية، على أن تقوم مصلحة الجمارك بتس
- Article 79
Without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties, movable antiquities involved in violations and the funds derived from them, and the tools, machines and means of transport used in specified violations, are confiscated by court judgment.
مع عدم الإخلال بحقوق الغير (حسن النية)؛ تصادر بحكم قضائي الآثار المنقولة التي خالف حائزها أحكام المواد (الثانية، والسادسة والثلاثين، والأربعين) من هذا النظام، و
- Article 80
Without prejudice to penalties, anyone who found antiquities or obtained them in violation must hand them over, anyone who damaged registered sites must pay compensation, and anyone who demolished or built without approval must remove it and restore the site at his expense.
مع عدم الإخلال بالعقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام: 1 - يُلزم كل من عثر على آثار، أو استولى على آثار مملوكة للدولة بصورة غير مشروعة، أو حصل على آثار بطريقة مخ
- Article 81
Without prejudice to penalties, where survey, excavation, export, trading or museum licenses are violated, the committee provided for in Article 90 may stop the activity, or suspend or permanently cancel the license.
مع عدم الإخلال بالعقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، في حالة مخالفة الأحكام والشروط المتعلقة بتراخيص المسح، أو التنقيب، أو التصدير، أو الاتجار، أو المتاحف؛ فلل
- Article 82
Anyone who takes part, by agreement, incitement or assistance, in committing any violation under the Law is punished with the same penalty set for it.
يعاقب كل من اشترك بطريق الاتفاق، أو التحريض، أو المساعدة في ارتكاب أي من المخالفات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام بالعقوبة نفسها المقررة لها.
- Article 83
Attempting any violation of the Law is punished by no more than half of the maximum penalty prescribed for it.
يعاقب على الشروع في أي من المخالفات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام بما لا يتجاوز نصف الحد الأعلى للعقوبة المقررة لها.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.