Article 138 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 138 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثامن: أوجه البطلان
This article of the Regulations provides that a judgment of not hearing the case for a fundamental defect that cannot be corrected is recorded and an objectionable instrument issued, and the corrected case is heard by the same circuit.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يدون في ضبط الدعوى الحكمُ الصادر - وفقا للمادة (الحادية والتسعين بعد المائة) من النظام- بعدم سماع الدعوى التي وُجِد فيها عيب جوهري لا يمكن تصحيحه، ويصدر به صك ويخضع لأحكام الاعتراض المنصوص عليها في النظام واللائحة.
2 - إذا حكم بعدم سماع الدعوى، ثم صحـح المدعي دعواه، فتنظرها الدائرة القضائية التي نظرتها سابقاً وفي محضر ضبط الدعوى نفسه.
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 138 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law regulates the judgment issued under Article 191 of the Law not to hear a case in which a fundamental defect that cannot be corrected was found.
- Documenting the judgment and objecting to it: this judgment is recorded in the case record and an instrument is issued for it, and it is subject to the provisions on objection set out in the Law and the Regulations. That is, it is a judgment that can be objected to like other judgments according to those provisions.
- After the case is corrected: if the judgment is not to hear the case, and the claimant then corrects his case, it is heard by the same judicial circuit that heard it previously, and in the same case record.
The practical benefit is that a judgment of not hearing the case is not a decision that cannot be reviewed; an instrument is issued for it and it may be objected to. Also, a claimant who corrects his case does not start before a new circuit, but returns to the circuit that heard it the first time, and it is completed in the same record. The article does not specify what a fundamental defect is, which is for Article 191 of the Law to determine.
This article follows Article 137, which interprets the meaning of the court's composition, and precedes Article 139, which requires informing the parties of their right to object to the judgment and the period. If a judgment of not hearing the case has been issued in your case and you want to know whether to object or correct your case, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
Mansour brought a private-right claim in a criminal case in Riyadh, and the court ruled not to hear it for a fundamental defect, recorded the judgment and issued an instrument for it. Mansour later corrected his case, and it was heard by the same judicial circuit that heard it the first time, in the same case record.
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 138 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Can a judgment of not hearing the case be objected to?
Yes. An instrument is issued for it and it is subject to the provisions on objection set out in the Law and the Regulations.
Who hears the case after it is corrected?
The judicial circuit that heard it previously, in the same case record.
More articles on Criminal Judgments and Nullity of Procedures
- Article 127
This article of the Regulations requires that the report prepared on the court's judgment that an official paper, in whole or in part, is forged, under Article 178 of the Law, be included in the case record.
يضمن المحضر المعد في شأن حكم المحكمة بثبوت تزوير ورقة رسمية (كلها أو بعضها) - وفق ما نصت عليه المادة (الثامنة والسبعون بعد المائة) من النظام - في ضبط الدعوى.
- Article 128
This article of the Regulations requires a judge who is barred from ruling because the judgment would run contrary to his knowledge to record that in the case record and inform his direct superior.
إذا امتنع على القاضي الحكم في قضية لتوجه الحكم فيها بما يخالف علمه؛ فعليه أن يدون ذلك في ضبط الدعوى ويخبر مرجعه المباشر بذلك لاتخاذ ما يلزم نظاماً.
- Article 129
This article of the Regulations regulates the court's deferring decision on the requests of the private-right claimant or the accused under Article 180 of the Law, how they are later heard, and their statement in the judgment.
1- إذا قررت المحكمة إرجاء الفصل في طلبات المدعي بالحق الخاص أو المتهم - استناداً إلى المادة (الثمانين بعد المائة) من النظام - فيضمَّن ذلك مع أسبابه في الحكم الص
- Article 130
This article of the Regulations sets the contents of the draft criminal judgment, the rules on a judge's absence and the accused's attendance at the reading of the judgment, determining the criminal description, and drafting the instrument.
1- يجب أن تحرر مسودة الحكم قبل النطق به، وأن تشتمل على رقم الدعوى، وتاريخها، ونص الحكم، وأسبابه، وأسماء القضاة الذين اشتركوا في إصداره، وتوقيعاتهم مؤرخاً. 2 - إ
- Article 131
This article of the Regulations defines the certified copy of the judgment, and sets how a final judgment is officially notified and the Bureau informed, while preserving the parties' right to know it is final.
1- الصورة المصدقة - المشار إليها في المادة (الثانية والثمانين بعد المائة) من النظام - هي صورة الحكم المختوم عليها بخاتم التصديق المتضمن أن الصورة طبق الأصل، أو
- Article 135
This article of the Regulations clarifies that the criminal case in Article 186 of the Law is the public case, and sets when a copy of a previous judgment is certified and the form of the court's certificate of it.
1- الدعوى الجزائية الواردة في المادة (السادسة والثمانين بعد المائة) من النظام هي الدعوى الجزائية العامة. 2 - تعد صورة الحكم التي يثبت بها الحكم السابق في الدعوى
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.