In force Last amended 17/8/1446 AH
Saudi Board of Grievances Law
نظام ديوان المظالم
The law covers the formation of the Board, the Administrative Judiciary Council, the Board's courts (their order, the Supreme Administrative Court and jurisdiction), and the appointment and employment affairs of its judges.
- Articles
- 26
- In force
- 26
- Amended
- 2
- Issued
- 19/9/1428 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم م/78 بتاريخ 19 / 9 / 1428 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 303 بتاريخ 19 / 9 / 1428
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Board of Grievances Law by topic
Independence and Composition of the Board of Grievances7 articlesAdministrative Judiciary Council5 articlesStructure of the Board of Grievances Courts2 articlesSupreme Administrative Court2 articlesAppeal of Administrative Judgments1 articleAction to Annul an Administrative Decision1 articleCompensation and Administrative Contracts1 articleClaims by Government Employees1 articleJurisdiction of the Board and Conflicts of Jurisdiction2 articlesBoard of Grievances Judges and Their Service Affairs6 articlesPublication of Board of Grievances Judgments2 articles
Articles of the Saudi Board of Grievances Law
الباب الأول: تشكيل الديوانArticles 1–3
- Article 1The article establishes the Board of Grievances as an independent administrative judicial body linked directly to the King and based in Riyadh, whose judges have the guarantees and duties of the Judiciary Law.
- Article 2The article states that the Board of Grievances consists of a president with the rank of minister, one or more vice presidents and a sufficient number of judges, with researchers, technicians and administrators attached.
- Article 3The article provides that the vice presidents of the Board of Grievances are appointed by royal order from among those who meet the conditions for the grade of president of an appeal court.
الباب الثاني: مجلس القضاء الإداريArticles 4–7
- Article 4The article establishes the Administrative Judiciary Council within the Board of Grievances and sets its members; the four judges and two experts are named by royal order for a renewable four-year term.Amended M/180
- Article 5The article gives the Administrative Judiciary Council, for the Board of Grievances, the powers of the Supreme Judicial Council in the Judiciary Law, and gives its chair the powers of the chair of that council.
- Article 6The article governs meetings of the Administrative Judiciary Council at least every two months, a quorum of five members, decisions by majority, and who replaces the chair when absent.
- Article 7The article provides that the Administrative Judiciary Council has a general secretariat, and that the Council chooses its secretary general from among the judges.
الباب الثالث: محاكم الديوانArticles 8–15
- Article 8The article lists the Board of Grievances courts as the Supreme Administrative Court, the administrative appeal courts and the administrative courts, and allows other specialized courts to be created with the King's approval.
- Article 9The article provides that the Board of Grievances courts work through specialized circuits of three judges, with a single-judge circuit permitted in the administrative courts, formed by the Administrative Judiciary Council.
- Article 10The article governs the Supreme Administrative Court's seat, composition, the naming of its president and members, its general assembly and quorum, and referral of departures from judicial principles to the general assembly.
- Article 11The article sets out the grounds on which an objection may be brought before the Supreme Administrative Court against judgments of the administrative appeal courts.
- Article 12The article provides that the administrative appeal courts hear appealable judgments issued by the administrative courts, and rule after hearing the statements of the parties.
- Article 13The article lists the cases the administrative courts decide, including employee rights, annulment of administrative decisions, compensation, contracts, disciplinary cases and enforcement of foreign judgments.
- Article 14The article bars the Board of Grievances courts from hearing cases on acts of sovereignty, objections to judgments of other courts within their jurisdiction, and decisions of three judicial councils.Amended
- Article 15The article governs the committee that decides conflicts of jurisdiction between the Board of Grievances courts and any other judicial body, and disputes over enforcing two conflicting final judgments.
الباب الرابع: تعيين قضاة الديوان وجميع شؤونهم الوظيفيةArticles 16–17
- Article 16The article provides that the grades of Board of Grievances judges are those in the Judiciary Law, and that they are treated like their counterparts there as to salaries, allowances, awards and benefits.
- Article 17The article provides that appointment, promotion, transfer, secondment, discipline, removal and termination of service of Board of Grievances judges, and their other affairs, follow the procedures of the Judiciary Law.
الباب الخامس: أحكام عامةArticles 18–26
- Article 18The article gives the president of the Board of Grievances administrative and financial supervision of the Board and the powers of the Minister over its staff, and makes him the Board's point of reference to ministries and other bodies.
- Article 19The article provides that the vice presidents of the Board of Grievances carry out the work the president assigns them, and the most senior vice president replaces him when he is absent or the post is vacant, without prejudice to Article 6.
- Article 20The article requires the Administrative Judiciary Council to prepare a comprehensive annual report on the Board's work, achievements, obstacles and proposals, which the president of the Board submits to the King.
- Article 21The article creates a Technical Affairs Office at the Board of Grievances to give opinions and prepare research, and to classify, print and publish the Board's courts' judgments in collections each year.
- Article 22The article subjects Board of Grievances staff other than judges to the civil service laws and to oversight by their superiors, and requires judicial assistants to pass an examination set by the Administrative Judiciary Council.
- Article 23The article requires all appointments and promotions in the judicial grades at the Board of Grievances to be within the limits of the budget appropriations and their provisions.
- Article 24The article permits, as an exception and during the five years following the Law's entry into force, assigning someone who meets the conditions for the grade of appeal judge to carry out the work of the grade of president of an appeal court.
- Article 25The article refers the rules of pleading and procedure before the Board of Grievances to the Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances.
- Article 26The article provides that the current Board of Grievances Law replaces the Board of Grievances Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/51 dated 17/7/1402 AH.