Article 108 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 108 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الخامس: إجراءات الجلسة ونظامها
The public prosecutor must attend public-right hearings in crimes where death, stoning or amputation is demanded and where the court requests his attendance, without affecting his right to attend in others.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1 - يكون حضور المدعي العام جلسات المحكمة في دعاوى الحق العام وجوبياً - وفقاً للمادة (السادسة والخمسين بعد المائة) من النظام - في الجرائم الآتية:
أ) الجرائم التي يُطالب فيها بعقوبة القتل أو الرجم أو القطع.
ب) الجرائم التي تَطلب فيها المحكمة حضوره.
وفي جميع الأحوال، لا يخل ما ورد في المادة (السادسة والخمسين بعد المائة) من النظام وما ورد في هذه المادة بحق المدعي العام في حضور جلسات المحكمة في الحق العام في الجرائم الأخرى.
2 - تبلغ المحكمة الهيئة بموعد الجلسة الأولى في الحالات المذكورة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة، وبعد ذلك يلزم المدعي العام متابعة مواعيد جلسات المحكمة.
3 - يتحقق تنفيذ حكم المادة (السادسة والخمسين بعد المائة) من النظام؛ بحضور أيِّ مدعٍّ عامٍّ مكلفٍ من الهيئة جلسات المحكمة، حتى وإن لم يكن هو من أعد لائحة الدعوى الجزائية العامة.
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 108 explained in plain English
This article of the Regulations, applying Article 156 of the Criminal Procedure Law, explains when the public prosecutor's attendance at court hearings in public-right cases is mandatory:
- Crimes in which the penalty of death, stoning or amputation is demanded.
- Crimes in which the court requests his attendance.
In all cases this does not prevent the public prosecutor's right to attend public-right hearings in other crimes.
Notification and follow-up: the court notifies the Bureau (the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution under Article 1 of the Regulations) of the date of the first hearing in the cases above, and after that the public prosecutor must follow the hearing dates himself.
Who attends: the mandatory attendance is met by the attendance of any public prosecutor assigned by the Bureau, even if he is not the one who prepared the statement of claim of the public criminal case.
This article does not state what follows from non-attendance, so refer to the Law for that.
If you have a pending case and need advice on your specific situation, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
In a case in Riyadh in which the Public Prosecution demanded the penalty of amputation, the court notified the Bureau of the date of the first hearing, and the public prosecutor then followed the later hearing dates. At one hearing another public prosecutor assigned by the Bureau attended, so the mandatory attendance was met even though he had not prepared the statement of claim.
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 108 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
When must the public prosecutor attend court hearings?
In public-right cases in which death, stoning or amputation is demanded, and in crimes in which the court requests his attendance.
May a public prosecutor other than the one who prepared the statement of claim attend?
Yes. The mandatory attendance is met by the attendance of any public prosecutor assigned by the Bureau.
Who follows the hearing dates after the first hearing?
The court notifies the Bureau of the date of the first hearing, and after that the public prosecutor must follow the dates.
Does the public prosecutor attend in other cases?
He has the right to attend public-right hearings in other crimes, although his attendance is not mandatory under this article.
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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.