Article 88 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 88 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The article leaves to the Implementing Regulations the procedures for the work of the committees and the Civil Status Authority, including submitting and deciding requests, grievances and appeals.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تحدد اللائحة التنفيذية الإجراءات التي يستلزمها حسن أداء اللجان والهيئة لأعمالها بما في ذلك إجراء التقدم بالطلبات والتظلمات والطعون والفصل فيها.
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 88 explained in plain English
This article is a referral article: it does not itself set out procedures, but entrusts the Implementing Regulations with setting the procedures needed for the committees and the Authority to perform their work well.
The article expressly states that these procedures include:
- The procedure for submitting requests.
- The procedure for grievances.
- The procedure for appeals.
- Deciding all of these.
In practice, this means that a person who wants to know how to submit a request to the committee, a grievance or an appeal, which documents are required and how it is considered must consult the Implementing Regulations, not the text of the Law alone. This article does not state the content of those procedures.
The scope of these procedures can be seen from the surrounding articles:
- Article 87 gives the Central Civil Status Authority jurisdiction to decide appeals against decisions of the sub-committees, to ratify the minutes of record inspections, and to give an opinion on civil status matters referred to it by the Minister of Interior.
- Article 89 makes population registers (hafizat al-nufus) issued before the Law took effect the basis for registering citizens unless their validity is doubted, in which case they are referred to their issuer, and then to the Civil Status Authority if their validity cannot be established from the records.
Anyone who needs to prepare a request or an appeal would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in civil status and 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 88 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
Where do I find the procedures for grievances before the civil status committees?
The article refers the procedures for submitting requests, grievances and appeals and deciding them to the Implementing Regulations of the Law.
Does the Law itself set the steps for filing an appeal?
No. This article does not set the steps; it leaves to the Implementing Regulations the procedures needed for the committees and the Authority to perform their work well.
More articles on Civil Status Violations and Penalties
- Article 76Amended (1427 AH)
The Article requires reporting the loss or damage of the national ID or family record book within 15 days, sets graded fines by number of times and delay, and exempts losses from fire, accidents, theft and disasters officially established.
إذا فقدت أو تلفت البطاقة الشخصية (بطاقة الهوية الوطنية) أو دفتر العائلة (سجل الأسرة)، فيجب اتخاذ الآتي: 1 - على صاحب المصلحة تبليغ إحدى دوائر الأحوال المدنية خل
- Article 78
The article punishes violators of the Civil Status Law with the penalties set out in the following articles, without prejudice to any harsher penalty under other laws.
مع عدم الإخلال بما تقضي به الأنظمة الأخرى من عقوبات أشد يعاقب مخالفو أحكام هذا النظام بالعقوبات المحددة في المواد التالية.
- Article 79
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to SAR 10,000, or either, anyone who gives incorrect information under the Law or violates Article 73.
يعاقب بالحبس مدة لا تتجاوز ستة أشهر وبغرامة لا تزيد على عشرة آلاف ريال أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين: أ - كل من أدلى ببيان غير صحيح من البيانات التي يوجبها تنفيذ هذا
- Article 80
The article sets a fine not exceeding SAR 10,000 for anyone who violates the provisions of Articles 32, 39, 45, 52, 70 and 71 of the Civil Status Law.
يعاقب على مخالفة أحكام المواد (32، 39، 45، 52، 70، 71) بغرامة لا تزيد على عشرة آلاف ريال.
- Article 81
The article sets a fine not exceeding SAR 5,000 for violating the remaining provisions of the Civil Status Law, its Implementing Regulations and the decisions implementing them.
يعاقب على مخالفة الأحكام الأخرى في هذا النظام وأحكام اللائحة التنفيذية والقرارات المنفذة لها بغرامة لا تزيد على خمسة آلاف ريال.
- Article 82Amended (1422 AH)
The article provides for local committees in civil status departments and offices and sub-committees in the regions, formed by decision of the Minister of Interior, and states their members from the Interior, Justice and Health.
أ - تشكل بقرار من وزير الداخلية وبقدر الحاجة لجان محلية في كل إدارة أو مكتب للأحوال المدنية، وتتكون كل لجنة من: 1 - مندوب من إدارة الأحوال المدنية يعينه وزير ال
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.