Article 86 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 86 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
Authority employees authorized to detect violations of the Law are judicial police officers during their work and within the limits of their jurisdiction, and the Authority may use authorized employees of other bodies by agreement with them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعد موظفو الهيئة الذين تخولهم بضبط مخالفات أحكام هذا النظام - أثناء قيامهم بأعمالهم - من رجال الضبط الجنائي، وذلك في حدود اختصاصهم، ويمكن للهيئة - بالاتفاق مع الجهات الأخرى - الاستعانة بموظفي تلك الجهات المخولين من جهاتهم لضبط تلك المخالفات.
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 86 explained in plain English
This article gives judicial police status to specified employees.
Who holds the status: Authority employees whom it authorizes to detect violations of the Law; it is not every employee of the Authority, but those the Authority authorizes for this purpose.
Limits of the status:
- While carrying out their work.
- Within the limits of their jurisdiction.
Using other bodies: the Authority may, by agreement with other bodies, use the employees of those bodies who are authorized by their bodies to detect violations.
Judicial police status means that these employees have, within the limits of their jurisdiction and during their work, the power to detect violations. The article does not set out the powers that follow from this status, so no particular powers should be inferred from this text alone.
The two restrictions in the text are important: the status is tied to working time and to the limits of jurisdiction. Using employees of other bodies requires an agreement with those bodies, and that their employees be authorized by their bodies.
Article 87 follows, which requires government bodies to notify the Authority when they learn of any violation of the Law's provisions. Anyone subject to detection procedures in an antiquities case would be wise to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
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 86 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Who detects violations of the Antiquities Law?
Authority employees whom it authorizes to detect violations, who are judicial police officers during their work and within the limits of their jurisdiction.
Can employees of other bodies detect antiquities violations?
The Authority may, by agreement with other bodies, use the employees of those bodies who are authorized by their bodies to detect violations.
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.