Article 96 of the Saudi Commercial Court Law
المادة 96 من النظام التجاري نظام المحكمة التجارية · الفصل الثامن: في معاملة الإخطار
The article assigns drawing up notices of non-acceptance and non-payment to notaries public under their own law, and where there is no notary public this is among the duties of the chief clerks of the Sharia court.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحرر الإخطار بعدم القبول وإخطار عدم الدفع بواسطة كتاب العدل حسب قانونه الخاص وحيث لا يوجد كاتب عدل فيكون ذلك من وظائف رؤساء كتاب المحكمة الشرعية .
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 96 explained in plain English
This article opens the chapter on the handling of notices, and specifies the body that draws up the notice of both kinds:
- Notice of non-acceptance.
- Notice of non-payment.
The competent body:
- As a rule: the notice is drawn up through the notaries public, according to their own law. That is, the drawing-up procedures are subject to the law specific to notaries public, not to this Law alone.
- The alternative: where there is no notary public, drawing up the notice is among the duties of the chief clerks of the Sharia court.
The aim of assigning the notice to an official body is for it to be authoritative proof of the refusal, because many of the holder's rights depend on the notice, such as recourse against the drawer and endorsers and precautionary attachment.
The article does not detail the drawing-up procedures, but refers to the specific law of notaries public. Article 97 follows, specifying what the notice instrument must contain. Before it, Article 95 gives the holder the right of precautionary attachment after giving notice of non-payment.
The bodies in use today may differ from what the text states. If you need a notice drawn up, consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial paper to learn the procedure followed.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCommercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 96 of the Saudi Commercial Court Law
Who draws up the protest of non-acceptance or non-payment?
It is drawn up through the notaries public according to their own law.
What if there is no notary public in the town?
Drawing up the notice is among the duties of the chief clerks of the Sharia court.
More articles on Endorsement, Payment and Recourse on the Draft
- Article 51
The article makes the drawer of a bill of exchange and the endorsers who transferred it jointly liable for its acceptance and for payment on time, and jointly bound to pay its holder.
صاحب السفتجة والمحيلون المتناقلون لها مسئولون على وجه التضامن عن القبول والدفع في ميعاده وملزمون لحاملها بالوفاء على وجه التضامن
- Article 57
The article provides that the intervener is not bound to pay the bill's value on the due date except after notice of non-payment has been given within the set time.
لا يجب على المتوسط المذكور دفع قيمة السفتجة في ميعاد استحقاق الدفع إلا بعد عمل الإخطار بعدم الدفع في الميعاد المحدود .
- Article 60
The article provides that ownership of bills of exchange passes from one person to another by transferring them by endorsement on them.
تنتقل ملكية السفاتج من واحد لآخر بتحويلها شرحا عليها .
- Article 61
The article sets the particulars of a bill's transfer: the date, a statement that value has been received, the name and surname of the person to whose order it passes, and the endorser's signature or seal.
يؤرخ تحويل السفتجة ويذكر فيها أن قيمتها وصلت ويبين فيها اسم وشهرة من انتقلت تحت إذنه ويضع المحيل إمضاءه أو ختمه .
- Article 62
The article provides that a transfer of a bill of exchange that does not meet the conditions of Article 61 does not pass ownership but counts as an ordinary authorization to collect its value.
إذا لم يستوف تحويل السفتجة شرائطه المبينة في المادة السابقة فلا يوجب انتقال الملك بل يعد توكيلا اعتياديا في قبض قيمتها .
- 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 .
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.