Article 41 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
المادة 41 من نظام المحاكم التجارية · الفصل الثاني: الإقرار
The commercial court assesses the weight of a non-judicial admission according to the means used to prove it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة تقدير حجية الإقرار غير القضائي بحسب الوسائل التي اتخذت لإثباته.
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 41 explained in plain English
Article 40 sets out when an admission is judicial, namely an admission made before the court about a fact relating to the case while it is being heard, or during case preparation or the exchange of memoranda. This article deals with the non-judicial admission, that is, an admission that does not fall within those cases.
The rule in this article is that the court assesses the weight of the non-judicial admission, meaning its strength as evidence, according to the means used to prove it. The value of this admission is tied to the means by which its occurrence is proved, and the court looks at that means to assess its value.
The article does not set advance rules on the value of each means, but leaves the assessment to the court in each case.
In practice, anyone relying on an acknowledgment made by their opponent outside the court, such as in a message or a chat, should pay attention to the means by which that acknowledgment is proved.
The article is also connected to Article 42, which makes the content of what any party stated in official papers binding on that party unless the contrary is proved, and treats an ordinary paper as issued by the person it is attributed to unless that person expressly denies the handwriting, signature, seal or fingerprint attributed to them in it. Anyone facing a dispute of this kind should consider consulting a lawyer specialized in commercial cases.
Practical example
A store owner in Medina acknowledged in a chat-app message to his supplier that he owed him a certain amount, and then denied the debt before the commercial court. This acknowledgment was not made before the court, so it is a non-judicial admission, and the court assesses its weight according to the means the supplier provided to prove it.
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 41 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
What is the weight of an acknowledgment made outside court in commercial cases?
The court assesses the weight of a non-judicial admission according to the means used to prove it.
What is the difference between a judicial and a non-judicial admission?
A judicial admission is made before the court about a fact relating to the case while it is being heard, or during case preparation or the exchange of memoranda, under Article 40. For a non-judicial admission, the court assesses its weight according to the means used to prove it.
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 39
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.
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.
- 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 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.