Article 71 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
المادة 71 من النظام الأساسي للحكم · الباب السادس: سلطات الدولة
The Article requires laws to be published in the Official Gazette and makes them effective from the date of publication unless another date is specified.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تنشر الأنظمة في الجريدة الرسمية، وتكون نافذة المفعول من تاريخ نشرها، ما لم ينص على تاريخ آخر.
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 71 explained in plain English
This Article deals with two matters important to anyone who deals with laws:
- Publication of laws: the Article provides that laws are published in the Official Gazette, and thereby are made known to everyone.
- The effective date: the rule is that a law is effective from the date of its publication. But the Article makes an exception with the phrase "unless another date is specified"; if the law specifies another date for taking effect, that date applies.
In practice, this means that knowing the start date of a particular law requires two things: knowing the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, and checking whether the law itself specifies a different effective date.
This Article complements Article 70, which provides that laws, treaties, international agreements and concessions are issued and amended by royal decrees; Article 70 sets out the instrument of issuance, and Article 71 sets out publication and the start of effect.
The Article mentions laws specifically, and its text does not address treaties, agreements or other things. The Article also does not state the rule for facts that occurred before the law took effect.
Anyone with a question about whether a new law applies to their situation and the date from which it applies to them would be well advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in constitutional and administrative law or a lawyer who specializes in the field of that law.
Practical example
A new law is issued concerning an activity carried on by a company in Riyadh, and it is published in the Official Gazette. The company's manager reviews the law and finds that it provides for it to be applied after a period from the date of its publication. Under Article 71, the law is effective from the date it specified, not from the date of publication, because the law specified another date.
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 71 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
When does a new law take effect in Saudi Arabia?
Article 71 provides that laws are effective from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette, unless another date is specified.
Where are Saudi laws published?
The Article provides that laws are published in the Official Gazette.
Can a law take effect on a date other than its publication date?
Yes, if another date is specified for its taking effect.
More articles on Shura Council and Issuing Laws
- 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 67
The Article defines the regulatory authority's competence to make laws and regulations that serve the public interest or remove harm in State affairs, in accordance with the rules of Islamic Sharia.
تختص السلطة التنظيمية بوضع الأنظمة واللوائح، فيما يحقق المصلحة، أو يرفع المفسدة في شئون الدولة، وفقا لقواعد الشريعة الإسلامية ، وتمارس اختصاصاتها وفقا لهذا النظ
- Article 68
The Article provides for establishing a Shura Council whose law sets out its composition, powers and selection of members, and gives the King the power to dissolve it and reconstitute it.
ينشأ مجلس للشورى ، ويبين نظامه طريقة تكوينه، وكيفية ممارسته لاختصاصاته، واختيار أعضائه. وللملك حل مجلس الشورى وإعادة تكوينه.
- Article 69
The Article permits the King to call the Shura Council and the Council of Ministers to a joint meeting, and to invite whomever he sees fit to attend it to discuss what he sees fit.
للملك أن يدعو مجلس الشورى ، ومجلس الوزراء ، إلى اجتماع مشترك، وله أن يدعو من يراه لحضور هذا الاجتماع لمناقشة ما يراه من أمور.
- Article 70
The Article provides that laws, treaties, international agreements and concessions are issued and amended by royal decrees.
تصدر الأنظمة ، والمعاهدات ، والاتفاقيات الدولية ، والامتيازات ، ويتم تعديلها بموجب مراسيم ملكية .
- Article 83
The article provides that the Basic Law of Governance may be amended only in the same way in which it was issued.
لايجري تعديل هذا النظام إلا بنفس الطريقة التي تم بها إصداره.
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.