Article 53 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
المادة 53 من النظام الأساسي للحكم · الباب السادس: سلطات الدولة
The Article refers to the law the organization of the Board of Grievances and its powers.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يبين النظام ترتيب ديوان المظالم واختصاصاته.
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 53 explained in plain English
This Article is short and provides that the law sets out the organization of the Board of Grievances and its powers.
The Article confirms the existence of the Board of Grievances among the Articles on the judiciary in Chapter Six, "The State's Authorities", but it does not itself specify:
- The composition of the Board or the levels of its courts;
- The types of cases it is competent over;
- The litigation procedures before it.
The text leaves all of this to the law, so anyone who wants to know these details refers to the law issued concerning the Board, not to the Basic Law of Governance alone.
The Article comes in the context of the Articles on judicial organization, including Article 52, which provides that judges are appointed and their service ended by royal order upon the proposal of the Supreme Judicial Council, and Article 54, which refers to the law the affiliation of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution and its organization and powers.
Anyone with a dispute who wants to know whether it falls within the competence of the Board of Grievances would be well advised to refer to the law regulating the Board or consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative 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 53 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
What determines the powers of the Board of Grievances?
Article 53 provides that the law sets out the organization of the Board of Grievances and its powers.
Does Article 53 mention the cases the Board of Grievances hears?
No. The Article leaves the determination of the Board's powers to the law.
More articles on Judicial Authority and Judicial Independence
- Article 44
The Article sets out the State's three authorities, the judicial, executive and regulatory, provides that they cooperate in accordance with the laws, and states that the King is their reference.
تتكون السلطات في الدولة من : - السلطة القضائية. - السلطة التنفيذية. - السلطة التنظيمية. وتتعاون هذه السلطات في أداء وظائفها، وفقا لهذا النظام وغيره من الأنظمة،
- Article 46
The Article provides that the judiciary is an independent authority and that there is no authority over judges in their judgments other than the authority of Islamic Sharia.
القضاء سلطة مستقلة، ولا سلطان على القضاة في قضائهم لغير سلطان الشريعة الإسلامية .
- Article 47
The Article guarantees the right of litigation equally to citizens and residents of the Kingdom, and refers its procedures to the law.
حق التقاضي مكفول بالتساوي للمواطنين والمقيمين في المملكة ، ويبين النظام الإجراءات اللازمة لذلك.
- Article 48
The Article requires the courts to apply the rules of Islamic Sharia in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah, and the laws issued by the ruler that do not conflict with them.
تطبق المحاكم على القضايا المعروضة أمامها أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية ، وفقا لما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة، وما يصدره ولي الأمر من أنظمة لا تتعارض مع الكتاب والسنة.
- Article 49
The Article makes the courts competent to decide all disputes and crimes, subject to Article 53 on the Board of Grievances.
مع مراعاة ما ورد في المادة الثالثة والخمسين من هذا النظام، تختص المحاكم في الفصل في جميع المنازعات والجرائم.
- Article 50
The Article provides that the King or whoever he delegates is concerned with the enforcement of judicial judgments.
الملك أو من ينيبه معنيون بتنفيذ الأحكام القضائية.
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.