Article 145 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 145 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثاني: النقض وإعادة النظر
This article of the Regulations provides that affirming or reversing judgments is for the competent circuit of the Supreme Court, unanimously or by majority, and regulates referring the case returned after reversal.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يكون تأييد الأحكام أو نقضها من الدائرة المختصة في المحكمة العليا؛ بالإجماع أو بالأغلبية.
2 - إذا أعيدت القضية إلى المحكمة بعد نقض الحكم من المحكمة العليا، ولم يكن في المحكمة دائرة مختصة غير من نظرها، فتحال القضية إلى أقرب محكمة مختصة في المنطقة، وذلك دون إخلال بما يصدره المجلس في هذا الشأن.
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 145 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law falls within the chapter on cassation and reconsideration, and contains two provisions:
- The Supreme Court's decision: affirming or reversing judgments is for the competent circuit of the Supreme Court, unanimously or by majority. That is, unanimity is not required.
- After reversal and return of the case: if the case is returned to the court after the Supreme Court reverses the judgment, and that court has no competent circuit other than the one that heard it, the case is referred to the nearest competent court in the region. This is without prejudice to what the Supreme Judicial Council issues in this regard.
The second paragraph deals with a practical situation: if the judgment is reversed and the case returned, and the court has no competent circuit other than the one that issued the reversed judgment, the case does not stay with it, but is referred to the nearest competent court in the region. The article reserves for the Supreme Judicial Council to issue what it sees in this matter, without stating its content. The article does not address the grounds for reversal.
The article follows Article 144 on the Court of Appeal's annotating the substance of its judgments on first-instance judgments, and precedes Article 146, which provides that the Supreme Court's hearing of judgments of death, stoning, amputation and retribution is by five-judge circuits. If a judgment in your case has been reversed, you can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
The Supreme Court reversed a criminal judgment issued by a court in a small governorate, and the case was returned to it. That court had no competent circuit other than the circuit that heard the case, so the case was referred to the nearest competent court in the region.
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 145 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Is the unanimity of the Supreme Court judges required to reverse a judgment?
No. Affirming or reversing judgments is for the competent circuit, unanimously or by majority.
Who hears the case after the judgment is reversed?
If the court has no competent circuit other than the one that heard it, the case is referred to the nearest competent court in the region, without prejudice to what the Supreme Judicial Council issues.
More articles on Objecting to Criminal Judgments
- Article 138
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.
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 ص
- Article 139
This article of the Regulations requires recording that the parties were informed of their right to object, its period and the effect of missing it, and gives the public prosecutor and the private-right claimant the right to object to an unfixed discretionary penalty.
1- يدون في ضبط الدعوى إعلام أطراف الدعوى بحقهم في الاعتراض على الحكم، والمدة المحددة لتقديمه، وأن الحكم سيكتسب لصفة القطعية بمضي تلك المدة دون تقديم مذكرة الاعت
- Article 140
This article of the Regulations provides that an objector's withdrawal of his objection neither reduces the objection period nor loses his right to it unless that period passes.
ليس لعدول المعترض على الحكم عن اعتراضه أثر في نقص المدة المحددة لتقديم الاعتراض ولا يسقط حقه فيه ما لم تنقض تلك المدة.
- Article 141
This article of the Regulations explains the effect of not submitting the objection within its period: for a judgment not subject to mandatory review the right to appeal or review is lost and it becomes final, and for one subject to mandatory review the right to submit the memorandum is lost.
1- إذا كان الحكم غير واجب التدقيق، ولم يقدم المعترض اعتراضه خلال المدة المحددة للاعتراض سقط حقه في طلب الاستئناف، أو التدقيق، واكتسب الحكم صفة القطعية، وعلى الد
- Article 142
This article of the Regulations requires the objection to be submitted by a memorandum under paragraph 1 of Article 195 of the Law, lodged with the court that issued the judgment within the period, and allows more than one memorandum on conditions.
1- لا يقبل الاعتراض على الحكم إلا بمذكرة مشتملة على ما نصت عليه الفقرة (1) من المادة (الخامسة والتسعين بعد المائة) من النظام، وللمدعي العام بعثها بكتاب رسمي، وت
- Article 143
This article of the Regulations requires the circuit that issued the challenged judgment to record in the case record that it has seen the objection memorandum.
تدون الدائرة التي أصدرت الحكم المعترض عليه ما يفيد اطلاعها على المذكرة الاعتراضية في ضبط 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.