Article 81 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
المادة 81 من نظام المحاكم التجارية · الفصل الثاني: الاستئناف
The article regulates filing an appeal by a statement lodged by the appellant or their representative with the competent department, its particulars, and the department's registration, hearing date, referral and notification steps.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُرفع الاستئناف بصحيفة يودعها المستأنِف أو مَن يمثله لدى الإدارة المختصة، على أن تتضمن الصحيفة: بيانات الحكم المستأنَف، وأسباب الاستئناف، وطلبات المستأنِف، والبيانات الأخرى التي تحددها اللائحة.
2- تقيد الإدارة المختصة الاستئناف وتحدد -بحسب الأحوال- موعد جلسة نظره فور تقديمه، وتحيله إلى دائرة الاستئناف مرافقاً له ملف الدعوى، وتبلغ المستأنف ضده بصحيفة الاستئناف.
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 81 explained in plain English
This article explains how to file an appeal and what happens after it is submitted.
First: the statement of appeal. An appeal is filed by a statement lodged by the appellant or their representative with the competent department, and it must include:
- Particulars of the judgment appealed.
- The grounds of appeal.
- The appellant's requests.
- Other particulars specified by the Implementing Regulations.
Second: the procedures of the competent department. The competent department does the following:
- Registers the appeal.
- Sets, as the case may be, the date of the hearing to consider it as soon as it is submitted.
- Refers it to the appeal circuit, together with the case file.
- Notifies the respondent of the statement of appeal.
The importance of specifying the requests and grounds in the statement appears from Article 82, as an appeal transfers the case in the state it was in before the judgment appealed was issued only in respect of what the appeal was filed against, new requests are not accepted on appeal and the court rules of its own motion that they are inadmissible, while it is permitted to add to the original request any increase in compensation, profits or rent that falls due after the final requests were submitted.
The article is also connected to Article 80, which sets the jurisdiction of the appeal circuit composed of a single judge. To prepare a statement of appeal that sets out the grounds and requests properly, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases.
Practical example
A first-instance judgment was issued against a transport company in Dammam, so its representative prepared a statement of appeal containing the particulars of the judgment appealed, the grounds of appeal and the company's requests, and lodged it with the competent department. The department registered the appeal and set the date of the hearing to consider it, referred it to the appeal circuit with the case file, and notified the other party of the statement of appeal.
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 81 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law
How do I file an appeal in the commercial court?
By a statement lodged by the appellant or their representative with the competent department, including the particulars of the judgment appealed, the grounds of appeal, the appellant's requests and the other particulars specified by the Implementing Regulations.
What happens after the statement of appeal is submitted?
The competent department registers the appeal, sets, as the case may be, the date of the hearing to consider it as soon as it is submitted, refers it to the appeal circuit with the case file, and notifies the respondent of the statement.
Can someone representing me file the appeal?
Yes. The article provides that the statement is lodged by the appellant or their representative.
More articles on Appeal and Cassation
- Article 72
The procedures established before the first-instance circuits apply to the appeal circuits and the commercial circuit in the Supreme Court where there is no special provision.
فيما لم يرد فيه نص خاص، تسري على دوائر الاستئناف والدائرة التجارية في المحكمة العليا الإجراءات المقررة أمام الدوائر الابتدائية، بما في ذلك الأحكام المتعلقة بالآ
- Article 73
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the objections that must be filed by a lawyer.
تحدد اللائحة الاعتراضات التي يجب رفعها من محامٍ.
- Article 74
The article sets who may object to a judgment, the permissibility of agreeing that a first-instance judgment is final, when interim rulings can be objected to, and the effect of an objection on immediate enforcement.
1- ما لم ينص النظام على غير ذلك، لا يجوز أن يعترض على الحكم إلا المحكوم عليه، أو من لم يُقضَ له بكل طلباته. 2- يجوز الاتفاق -ولو قبل رفع الدعوى- على أن يكون حكم
- Article 75
The article makes the address recorded in the case particulars the address for notification in an objection by way of appeal.
يُعَدُّ العنوان المُقيَّد في بيانات الدعوى عنواناً للتبليغ في الاعتراض بطريق الاستئناف.
- Article 76
The article sets the additional particulars required in the text of a judgment issued on an objection, and permits referring to the facts and reasons of the judgment objected to if they are sufficiently set out.
1- يجب أن تتضمن نسخة الحكم الصادر في الاعتراض -بالإضافة إلى البيانات الأساسية المذكورة في المادة (الثانية والستين) من النظام- الآتي: أ- ملخص وافٍ للاعتراض يشتمل
- Article 78
The article makes judgments and decisions of the first-instance circuits appealable, except minor cases not exceeding SAR 50,000 as the Council specifies, and regulates appeals decided without pleadings.
1- فيما لم يرد فيه نص خاص، تعدّ جميع الأحكام والقرارات الصادرة من الدوائر الابتدائية في المحكمة قابلة للاستئناف فيما عدا الدعاوى اليسيرة التي لا تزيد على خمسين
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.