Article 48 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 48 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: أركان العقد أولًا: الرضى
A minor, even if able to discern, a person who is insane and a person with diminished mental capacity are under interdiction by operation of law; a spendthrift and a person of impaired judgment are interdicted, and released, by court judgment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- الصغير ولو كان مميزًا والمجنون والمعتوه محجورٌ عليهم بحكم النِّظام.
2- يكون الحجر على السفيه وذي الغفلة ورفعه عنهما بحكم المحكمة، وللمحكمة أن تعلن الحكم إن رأت مصلحة في ذلك.
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 48 explained in plain English
This article determines who is under interdiction, and distinguishes between two kinds of interdiction according to its source:
First: interdiction by operation of law (paragraph 1), which covers:
- a minor, even if able to discern.
- a person who is insane.
- a person with diminished mental capacity.
These persons are under interdiction by operation of law itself, and the text does not require a court judgment for that.
Second: interdiction by court judgment (paragraph 2), which covers:
- a spendthrift.
- a person of impaired judgment.
Their interdiction is by court judgment, and lifting it is also by court judgment. The court may publicize the judgment if it sees an interest in doing so; publication is left to its discretion.
The article does not define a minor able to discern, a spendthrift or a person of impaired judgment, and does not set a particular age.
This article follows from Article 47, which provides that every person has capacity to act unless wholly or partially incapacitated under a statutory text. Article 49 provides that the transactions of a minor unable to discern are void.
If you are considering seeking interdiction of a relative or its lifting, consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status cases.
Practical example
A family in Qassim noticed that their adult son repeatedly squanders his money on losing deals. He is not under interdiction by operation of law, which applies to a minor, a person who is insane and a person with diminished mental capacity. Interdiction against him for spendthrift behavior, if established, is by court judgment, and the court may publicize the judgment if it sees an interest in doing so.
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 48 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Who is under interdiction by operation of law?
A minor, even if able to discern, a person who is insane, and a person with diminished mental capacity.
Does interdicting a spendthrift require a court judgment?
Yes. Interdiction of a spendthrift and of a person of impaired judgment, and its lifting, is by court judgment.
Is the interdiction judgment publicized?
The court may publicize the judgment if it sees an interest in doing so.
More articles on Capacity and General Provisions
- Article 1
The Article sets the order of what applies to civil matters: the Law's provisions, then the general rules in the final provisions, then the most suitable rulings of Sharia, without prejudice to special statutory provisions.
1- تُطبق نصوص هذا النظام على جميع المسائل التي تناولتها في لفظها أو في فحواها، فإن لم يوجد نص يمكن تطبيقه طُبقت القواعد الكلية الواردة في الأحكام الختامية، فإن
- Article 2
The Article provides that all periods and time limits in the Civil Transactions Law are calculated by the Hijri calendar.
تحسب المدد والمواعيد الواردة في هذا النظام بالتقويم الهجري.
- Article 3
The Article provides that a person's legal personality begins with complete live birth and ends with death, and that the rights of an unborn child in the womb are determined by statutory provisions.
1- تبدأ شخصية الإنسان بتمام ولادته حيًّا وتنتهي بموته. 2- حقوق الحمل المستكن تحددها النصوص النظامية.
- Article 4
The Article refers the rules on the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the statutory provisions specific to them rather than regulating them in the Civil Transactions Law.
تسري على المفقود والغائب ومجهول النسب النصوص النظامية الخاصة بهم.
- Article 5
The Article refers the rules on persons' names, titles, families, kinship and nationalities to the statutory provisions specific to them.
تسري على أسماء الأشخاص وألقابهم وأسرهم وقراباتهم وجنسياتهم النصوص النظامية الخاصة بها.
- Article 6
The article defines direct kinship as the link between ascendants and descendants, and indirect kinship as the bond between persons who share a common ancestor without one being a descendant of the other.
1- القرابة المباشرة هي الصلة بين الأصول والفروع. 2- القرابة غير المباشرة هي الرابطة بين أشخاصٍ يجمعهم أصلٌ مشتركٌ دون أن يكون أحدهم فرعًا للآخر.
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.