Article 24 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 24 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الثالث: الإجراءات
Article 24 sets out what the Specialized Criminal Court decides: crimes under the Law, annulment and compensation claims, and requests to enforce foreign judgments, along with the routes of appeal and objection.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى المحكمة المختصة الفصل في أي مما يأتي:
1- الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام.
2- دعاوى إلغاء القرارات ودعاوى التعويض المتعلقة بتطبيق أحكام النظام.
3- طلبات تنفيذ الأحكام الأجنبية النهائية المتعلقة بأي جريمة إرهابية أو جريمة تمويل إرهاب بما فيها الأحكام المتعلقة بمصادرة الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المرتبطة بأي من تلك الجرائم.
وتُستأنف الأحكام الصادرة في شأن الفقرتين (1) و(2) من هذه المادة أمام محكمة الاستئناف الجزائية المتخصصة، ويجوز الاعتراض على أحكامها أمام دائرة متخصصة في المحكمة العليا في الحالات المنصوص عليها في نظام الإجراءات الجزائية.
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 24 explained in plain English
This article sets out the jurisdiction of the competent court, which under Article 1 is the Specialized Criminal Court, and it decides three types of cases:
- The crimes set out in the Law.
- Claims to annul decisions and compensation claims relating to the application of the Law's provisions.
- Requests to enforce final foreign judgments relating to any terrorist crime or terrorist financing crime, including judgments on confiscating funds, proceeds or instrumentalities connected to those crimes.
As for challenging judgments, the article provides the following:
- Judgments issued under paragraphs (1) and (2) are appealed before the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal.
- Objection may be made to the Court of Appeal's judgments before a specialized circuit of the Supreme Court, in the cases set out in the Law of Criminal Procedure.
Note that the provision on appeal covers paragraphs one and two only, and does not mention requests to enforce foreign judgments. The article also does not state the cases of objection before the Supreme Court; it refers to the Law of Criminal Procedure for them.
The article follows Article 23, which allows the private claimant to bring his claim before the competent court after the investigation of the public right ends. A person with a case before this court should consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
A decision is issued against a person in application of the Law, and he believes it has harmed him. He brings a claim to annul the decision or for compensation before the Specialized Criminal Court, and if judgment is issued in it, it may be appealed before the Specialized Criminal Court 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 24 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Which court has jurisdiction over terrorism cases in Saudi Arabia?
The Specialized Criminal Court, which decides crimes under the Law, claims to annul decisions and for compensation relating to its application, and requests to enforce final foreign judgments relating to terrorism and its financing.
Where are the Specialized Criminal Court's judgments appealed?
Judgments in crimes and in annulment and compensation claims are appealed before the Specialized Criminal Court of Appeal.
Can an objection be made before the Supreme Court?
Objection may be made to the Court of Appeal's judgments before a specialized circuit of the Supreme Court, in the cases set out in the Law of Criminal Procedure.
More articles on Trial before the Specialized Criminal Court
- Article 16
Article 16 allows a person harmed by the accused or convicted in crimes under the Law to request compensation from the Head of State Security before going to court; a settlement committee decides within 90 days.
لمن أصابه ضرر من المتهمين أو المحكوم عليهم في جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام، أن يتقدم إلى رئيس أمن الدولة بطلب التعويض قبل التقدم إلى المحكمة المختصة
- Article 18
Article 18 gives the Public Prosecution jurisdiction to investigate crimes under the Law and to file and pursue the criminal case before the competent court.
تختص النيابة العامة بالتحقيق في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام وإقامة الدعوى الجزائية ومباشرتها أمام المحكمة المختصة.
- Article 23
Article 23 provides that investigation and the criminal case in crimes under the Law do not depend on a complaint by the victim, and a private claimant may bring his claim after the investigation of the public right ends.
لا تتوقف إجراءات التحقيق أو إقامة الدعوى الجزائية في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام أو الجرائم المرتبطة بها على شكوى المجني عليه، أو من ينوب عنه، أو وارثه من ب
- Article 25
Article 25 allows the court to issue a judgment in absentia against an accused of a crime under the Law if he was notified through the means of notification or an official media outlet, and he is retried upon arrest or appearance.
تصدر المحكمة حكمًا غيابيًّا في حق المتهم بارتكاب جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام إذا تم التبليغ من المحكمة عن طريق وسائل التبليغ أو إحدى وسائل الإعلام
- Article 26
Article 26 makes the competent court decide all connected crimes charged against the accused if one of them is a crime under the Law, unless the case papers were separated before being filed with the court.
إذا وقعت عدة جرائم يرتبط بعضها ببعض، وكانت إحداها جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام، فتتولى المحكمة المختصة، الفصل في جميع الجرائم الموجهة إلى المتهم، ما
- Article 27
Article 27 allows the court to hear witnesses and experts apart from the accused and his lawyer while informing them of the testimony without revealing identity, requires their protection, and lets the court's president allow filming of sessions.
1- للمحكمة المختصة -عند الاقتضاء- مناقشة الخبراء وسماع الشهود بمعزل عن المتهم ومحاميه ويبلغ المتهم أو محاميه بما تضمنته الشهادة وتقرير الخبرة دون الكشف عن هوية
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.