Article 135 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 135 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثالث: المسؤولية عن الضرر الناجم عن الأشياء
Exercising a right in public utilities is limited by the safety of others, and whoever harms another in doing so by a harm that could be guarded against is liable for it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
استعمال الحق في المنافع العامة مقيَّدٌ بسلامة الغير، فمن استعمل حقه في منفعةٍ عامَّةٍ وأضر بالغير ضررًا يمكن التحرز منه كان مسؤولًا عن ذلك الضرر.
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 135 explained in plain English
This article places a limit on people's use of their right in public utilities, such as roads and facilities available to everyone: that this use be limited by the safety of others.
A person's right to use a public utility does not permit him to harm another. The article provides that whoever exercised his right in a public utility and harmed another is liable for that harm, provided it is a harm that could be guarded against.
This involves two points:
- If the harm is of a kind that could be avoided through attention and precaution, the user is liable for it.
- As for harm that could not be guarded against, the text did not attach this liability to it.
The article set no detailed standard for what can be guarded against, so that is assessed according to the circumstances of each case.
This article is linked to Article 134, which explains who is considered the keeper of a thing, and to Article 136, which provides that compensation is by what fully redresses the damage by returning the injured person to the position he was in or would have been in but for the damage.
Anyone injured in a public place, or facing a claim because of it, should consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil and compensation cases.
Practical example
A young man was skating fast on a public walkway in Riyadh among pedestrians without paying attention and collided with an elderly man, knocking him down. His right to use the walkway is limited by the safety of others, and if the harm was of a kind that could be guarded against, he is liable for it.
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 135 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Am I liable for harm I caused someone else in a public place?
Whoever exercised his right in a public utility and harmed another by a harm that could be guarded against is liable for that harm.
Is my right to use a public road absolute?
No. The article provides that exercising a right in public utilities is limited by the safety of others.
What if the harm could not be avoided?
The article tied liability to harm that could be guarded against.
More articles on Compensation for Harm
- Article 28
The article provides that a person who uses his right lawfully is not liable for any harm that arises from that.
من استعمل حقه استعمالًا مشروعًا لا يكون مسؤولًا عما ينشأ عن ذلك من ضرر.
- Article 29
The article prohibits abuse in using a right, and sets its cases: aiming only to harm others, benefit entirely disproportionate to the harm caused, and use for something other than what the right was granted for or for an unlawful purpose.
1- لا يجوز التعسف في استعمال الحق. 2- يكون استعمال الحق تعسفيًّا في الحالات الآتية: أ- إذا لم يقصد بالاستعمال سوى الإضرار بالغير. ب- إذا كانت المنفعة من استعمال
- Article 35
The offeror may withdraw his offer before acceptance is made unless the offer has a fixed period, and if he does not inform the other party he compensates him for the harm suffered but not the expected profit.
1- للموجب أن يعدل عن الإيجاب قبل صدور القبول؛ ما لم تكن للإيجاب مدةٌ معينة. 2- إذا لم تكن للإيجاب مدة معينة؛ فعلى الموجب إذا عدل إعلام من وجه إليه الإيجاب بذلك،
- Article 41
Negotiating does not oblige the parties to conclude a contract, but a person who negotiates or ends negotiations in bad faith is liable for the harm, not for expected profit; bad faith includes lack of seriousness and concealing an essential fact.
1- ذا تمَّ التفاوض على عقد فلا يرتب ذلك على أطراف التفاوض التزامًا بإبرام هذا العقد، ومع ذلك يكون من يتفاوض أو يُنهي التفاوض بسوء نية مسؤولًا عن الضرر الذي أصاب
- Article 56
If a partially incapacitated person resorts to fraudulent means to conceal his incapacity, he must compensate the other contracting party for the harm caused by the annulment of the contract.
إذا لجأ ناقص الأهلية إلى طرقٍ احتياليَّةٍ لإخفاء نقص أهليته لزمه التعويض عن الضرر الذي أصاب المتعاقد معه بسبب إبطال العقد.
- Article 118
The article provides that the provisions on harmful acts apply to liability arising from the act of a natural or legal person, subject to liability provisions in special statutory texts.
مع مراعاة أحكام المسؤولية الواردة في نصوص نظامية خاصة؛ تسري أحكام هذا الفصل على المسؤولية الناشئة عن الفعل الضار من الشخص ذي الصفة الطبيعية أو الاعتبارية.
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.