Article 32 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
المادة 32 من نظام المحاكم التجارية · الباب الخامس: حضور الخصوم وغيابهم
In applying the provisions on the attendance and absence of parties, a person who attends before the time set for the hearing to end is not considered absent, and the Regulations set the rules of attending the hearing and its length.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في تطبيق أحكام هذا الباب، لا يعد غائباً من حضر قبل الموعد المحدد لانتهاء الجلسة. وتحدد اللائحة أحكام حضور الجلسة ومدتها.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article sets a criterion for determining absence when applying the provisions of Part Five on the attendance and absence of parties. What counts is not arriving at the start of the hearing, but that whoever attends before the time set for the hearing to end is not considered absent.
The importance of this is practical, because describing a party as absent has consequences. Article 31, for example, permits the court, if the plaintiff is absent from any hearing without an excuse it accepts, to decide the case at the defendant's request if it is ready for judgment, and otherwise to decide to strike it. Under this article, a plaintiff who is late and then attends before the time set for the hearing to end is not treated as absent.
- The criterion: attending before the time set for the hearing to end.
- The scope: the provisions of Part Five (attendance and absence of parties).
- The details: set by the Regulations.
The article refers to the Regulations to set the rules of attending the hearing and its length; these details are not stated in the Law itself, and the Regulations are referred to for them.
Anyone who has a hearing and fears being late for it should know the time set for it to end, and consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases when needed.
Practical example
A hearing was set for Ahmed, a plaintiff in a commercial case in Riyadh, with a set time for it to end. He was late because of traffic but arrived before that time. Ahmed is not considered absent, so the effects of the plaintiff's absence in Article 31 do not apply to him.
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 32 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
Is someone who is late for a hearing considered absent in the commercial court?
Someone who attends before the time set for the hearing to end is not considered absent, in applying the provisions on the attendance and absence of parties.
Who sets the length of a hearing in the commercial court?
The article provides that the Regulations set the rules of attending the hearing and its length.
More articles on Hearing the Case and Attendance of Parties
- Article 13
The article permits the court to impose a final fine not exceeding SAR 10,000 on anyone who violates procedures or hearing rules, and makes cases open to public review with the possibility of ordering confidentiality.
1- دون إخلال بأي عقوبة أخرى ينص عليها نظام آخر؛ للمحكمة عند إخلال أحد الأطراف بأي من إجراءات الدعوى أو نظام الجلسة أن تأمر بفرض غرامة لا تتجاوز عشرة آلاف ريال،
- Article 14
The article refers to the Regulations the setting of time limits for the procedures of hearing a commercial case and its hearings, and requires cases and memoranda to be submitted according to procedures and forms approved by the Ministry of Justice.
1- تحدد اللائحة المدد اللازمة لإجراءات نظر الدعوى، بما يراعي طبيعة الدعاوى التجارية، على أن يشمل ذلك عدد الجلسات ونوعها وإجراءات ضبطها ومواعيدها والمدد بينها وح
- Article 22
The article requires referring the case to the circuit, setting the hearing and notifying the defendant, and requires the defendant to deposit a comprehensive defense memorandum at least one day before the hearing, except for urgent applications.
1- تحيل الإدارة المختصة الدعاوى والطلبات إلى الدوائر وفق القواعد التي تحددها اللائحة، وتحدد الإدارة تاريخ الجلسة المحددة لنظرها، وتبلغ المدعى عليه بها فور إحالة
- Article 23
The article makes preparing the commercial case a task of the competent department in the court, including completing papers, serving the parties, exchanging memoranda and preparing a preliminary report.
تتولى الإدارة المختصة في المحكمة تهيئة الدعوى، بما في ذلك الآتي: 1- استكمال أوراق الدعوى. 2- تبليغ الأطراف. 3- تبادل المذكرات والمستندات. 4- إعداد التقرير الأول
- Article 25
The article provides for distributing cases within the circuit under the Council's mechanism, that pleading is in writing with oral hearing permitted, and refers to the Regulations the cases requiring a lawyer.
1- يكون توزيع الدعاوى بين أعضاء الدائرة وفق آلية يحددها المجلس. 2- تكون إجراءات نظر الدعوى والمرافعة فيها كتابة، على أنه يجوز للدائرة سماع ما لدى الأطراف مشافهة
- Article 26
The article permits the court, when a party fails without excuse to submit what is required by the deadline, to impose a final fine or reject that party's incidental or counterclaims.
للمحكمة عند تخلف أي من أطراف الدعوى عن تقديم ما طلب منه في الميعاد المحدد دون عذر؛ أن تقرر أيًّا مما يأتي: 1- فرض الغرامة المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (1) من المادة
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.