Article 39 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
المادة 39 من نظام المحاكم التجارية · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The court may depart from evidence procedures it ordered, or not rely on their result, by a decision recorded in the hearing minutes, provided it states the reasons for departing.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة أن تعدِل بقرار تثبته في محضر الجلسة عما أمرت به من إجراءات الإثبات، أو ألا تأخذ بنتيجة إجراء الإثبات، بشرط أن تبين أسباب ذلك العدول.
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 39 explained in plain English
This article gives the commercial court flexibility in managing evidence. If the court orders an evidence procedure, that order does not bind it permanently; it may:
- Depart from what it ordered in terms of evidence procedures.
- Or not rely on the result of the evidence procedure.
But this power is limited by two safeguards set out in the law:
- The departure must be made by a decision the court records in the hearing minutes.
- The court must state the reasons for that departure.
This way, the reason the court departed from a procedure, or did not rely on its result, is known to the litigants and recorded in the minutes, so a departure cannot be made without reasons.
This article is part of the general provisions on evidence, alongside Article 38, which makes the provisions of the evidence chapter apply to cases within the court's jurisdiction where the commercial laws contain no special provision, states that no special form is required to prove an obligation, and allows the parties to agree on specific rules of evidence without prejudice to public order. It is also connected to Article 40 on judicial admission.
Anyone who believes the court departed from an evidence procedure important to their case may consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases.
Practical example
The commercial court in Riyadh ordered a witness to be heard in a dispute between two companies, and then one of the companies submitted documents on the same matter. The court may depart from hearing the witness by a decision recorded in the hearing minutes, provided it states the reasons for its departure.
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 39 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
Can the commercial court reverse an evidence procedure it ordered?
Yes. It may depart from it by a decision recorded in the hearing minutes, provided it states the reasons for the departure.
Is the court bound by the result of an evidence procedure?
The court may decide not to rely on the result of an evidence procedure, provided it states its reasons in a decision recorded in the hearing minutes.
More articles on Evidence in a Commercial Case
- Article 38
The provisions of the evidence chapter apply to Commercial Court cases unless a special provision says otherwise; no special form is needed to prove an obligation, and parties may agree on evidence rules and shift the burden of proof.
1- فيما لم يرد فيه نص خاص في الأنظمة التجارية، تسري أحكام هذا الفصل على إجراءات الإثبات في الدعاوى التي تختص بنظرها المحكمة. 2- لا يلزم لإثبات الالتزام شكل خاص،
- Article 40
An admission is judicial if made before the court about a fact relating to the case during its hearing, preparation or the exchange of memoranda, and the court may infer it from written evidence submitted.
1- يعد الإقرار قضائيًّا إذا أقر أحد الأطراف أمام المحكمة بواقعة متعلقة بدعوى أثناء السير في نظرها. 2- يسري حكم الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة على أي إقرار تمّ أثناء إ
- Article 41
The commercial court assesses the weight of a non-judicial admission according to the means used to prove it.
للمحكمة تقدير حجية الإقرار غير القضائي بحسب الوسائل التي اتخذت لإثباته.
- Article 42
A party's statement in official papers is binding on that party unless the contrary is proved, and an ordinary paper is treated as issued by the person it is attributed to unless they expressly deny their handwriting, signature, seal or fingerprint.
1- يكون مضمون ما صرح به أي من الأطراف في الأوراق الرسمية حجة عليه، ما لم يثبت غير ذلك. 2- تعد الورقة العادية صادرة ممن نسبت إليه، ما لم ينكر صراحة ما هو منسوب إ
- Article 43
A copy of a document is treated as identical to its original unless an interested party disputes it; if disputed and comparison with the original is impossible, it may still be relied on as a presumption in four specified cases.
1- تُعَدُّ صورة المستند مطابقة لأصلها ما لم ينازع في ذلك أي من ذوي الشأن؛ فتجب مطابقتها على أصلها. 2- يجوز الاعتداد بصورة المستند التي نازع فيها أي من ذوي الشأن
- Article 44
Correspondence that is signed or proven to be attributable to its sender has the weight of an ordinary paper in evidence, unless the sender proves they did not send it and did not authorize anyone to send it.
تكون للمراسلات الموقع عليها أو الثابت نسبتها إلى مرسلها؛ حجية الورقة العادية في الإثبات، ما لم يثبت المرسل أنه لم يرسل الرسالة ولم يكلف أحداً بإرسالها.
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.