Article 144 of the Saudi Commercial Court Law
المادة 144 من النظام التجاري نظام المحكمة التجارية · الفصل الحادي عشر: في العقوبات
This article punishes a broker who violates the substance of Articles 32, 33 and 34 by barring him from brokerage for a month, doubling the period on repetition, and barring him entirely after three times.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
كل دلال يخالف مضمون المواد 32- 33- 34 يجازى بحرمانه من تعاطي مهنة الدلالة شهرا وإذا تكرر ذلك منه تضاعف المدة وبعد ثلاث مرات يحرم بالكلية.
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 144 explained in plain English
This article imposes a professional penalty on a broker who violates specific duties in Articles 32, 33 and 34.
Article 32 requires every broker who practices brokerage in commercial goods between merchants to keep a daybook in which he records his transactions after completing them, day by day, clearly, stating the name of the seller and buyer, the date of the contract, the time of delivery of the goods, their quantity, kind and price, and all the terms of the transaction, with no blanks, no crossing out, no writing one word over another and no writing between the lines. Article 33 requires brokers to produce their books, with the explanations needed, if the Commercial Court requests them, with no right to refuse. Article 34 requires a broker, if goods are sold through him on a sample (a known specimen), to keep the sample until the day the goods are delivered, marking it as needed so it can be identified.
The graduated penalty:
- First violation: barred from practicing brokerage for one month.
- On repetition: the period is doubled.
- After three times: he is barred entirely.
Note that the penalty here is purely professional, meaning a ban from practicing brokerage, with no imprisonment or fine in the text of this article. This differs from the penalty for fraud in Article 143 before it, which includes imprisonment or a fine.
Article 145 follows, punishing a money changer who pays filed-down or short coins or commits fraud.
If you are a broker, complying with the duties in Articles 32, 33 and 34 spares you this penalty. If you face a measure barring you from the profession, consult a specialized lawyer.
Practical example
A broker in Jeddah mediates deals between merchants but does not record his deals in a daybook. Under this article he is barred from the brokerage profession for a month, if it is repeated the period is doubled, and after three times he is barred entirely.
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 144 of the Saudi Commercial Court Law
What is the penalty for a broker who violates the duty to keep a book?
He is barred from practicing brokerage for one month, if it is repeated the period is doubled, and after three times he is barred entirely.
Which articles are punished for violating them?
Articles 32, 33 and 34 of the law: Article 32 concerns the broker's daybook, Article 33 producing the books to the Commercial Court, and Article 34 keeping the sample.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 32
The article requires a broker dealing in commercial goods between merchants to keep a daybook in which he records his work daily with specified details and with no blanks or erasures.
يجب على كل دلال يتعاطى الدلالة في البضائع التجارية بين التجار أن يتخذ له دفتر يومية يقيد فيه أعماله بعد إتمامه يوما فيوما بصورة واضحة مع بيان اسم البائع والمشتر
- Article 33
The article requires brokers to present their books with the necessary explanations if the Commercial Court requests them, with no right to refuse.
يجب على الدلالين أن يقدموا دفاترهم مع ما يلزم من الإيضاحات إذا طلبت منهم المحكمة التجارية وليس لهم حق الامتناع بوجه من الوجوه.
- Article 34
The article requires a broker, where goods are sold through him by sample, to keep the sample until the day of delivery, marked so as to prevent confusion.
إذا بيعت بضاعة بواسطة دلال على أنموذج - أي عينة معلومة - وجب عليه حفظها إلى يوم تسليم البضاعة مع التأشير عليها بما يلزم لمعرفتها بدون اشتباه.
More articles on Commercial Penalties
- Article 5
The article requires every merchant to deal with integrity and honor, without fraud, deceit or swindling, or he deserves the penalty under the penalties in the law.
يجب على كل تاجر أن يسلك في كل أعماله التجارية بدين وشرف، فلا يرتكب غشا ولا تدليسا ولا احتيالا ولا غبنا ولا غررا ولا نكثا ولا شيئا مما يخالف الدين والشرف بوجه من
- Article 41
The article makes every money changer responsible for his work, books and employees, regulates the exchange of coins at the Finance request, and assigns the application of the money changer provisions to municipal councils where there is no Commercial Court.
كل صراف مسئول عن أعماله وانتظام دفاتره وأعمال الأشخاص المستخدمين عنده مما تترتب فيها عقوبة بمقتضى فصل العقوبات : أ- يجب على الطرفين أن يقوموا بكل أمر حكومي إذا
- Article 63
The article prohibits putting dates in transfers ahead of their true date, and treats that as forgery if it occurs.
تقديم التواريخ في التحاويل عن تاريخها الحقيقي ممنوع وإن حصل يعد ذلك تزويرا .
- Article 138
The article punishes a merchant who reneges on a valid sale after giving the release order, even in collusion with the warehouse keeper, by requiring delivery and imprisonment of one to three months.
كل تاجر باع شيئا من أمواله وأموال موكله التي هي تحت تصرفه بيعا صحيحا ثم أعطى للمشتري سند الفسح ( الستمى ) باستلامه من المخزن ثم نكث عن بيعه وعارض في تسليم المبي
- Article 139
The article punishes a merchant who tricks a discerning minor, exploiting his need, into giving a document, by imprisonment of three months to a year or a fine of fifty to one hundred pounds.
كل من أساء الاستعمال من التجار في احتياجات صبي مميز بأن احتال عليه لأخذ وثيقة منه على أي صورة كانت سواء تضمنت استقراض دراهم واستعارة أشياء أو إعطاء أوراق أو إبر
- Article 140
The article punishes anyone who changes words or inserts phrases in a signed or sealed bond or a commercial book through embezzlement and forgery by imprisonment of three months to a year or a fine.
من أساء الاستعمال في سند أو ورقة فيها ختم أو إمضاء أو في دفتر تجاري بتبديل كلمات أو إدخال عبارات تقضى تعهد أو إبراء على وجه الاختلاس والتزوير يعاقب بالحبس من ثل
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.