Article 148 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 148 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثاني: النقض وإعادة النظر
This article of the Regulations provides that if the Supreme Court reverses a judgment a second time under Article 202 of the Law, the circuit hearing the objection may assess that the subject matter, as it stands, is fit for judgment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا نقضت المحكمة العليا حكماً للمرة الثانية - وفق المادة (الثانية بعد المائتين) من النظام - فيكون للدائرة التي تنظر الاعتراض تقدير أن الموضوع بحالته صالحٌ للحكم فيه.
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 148 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law deals with a specific situation: the Supreme Court reverses a judgment for the second time, under Article 202 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
In this case the circuit hearing the objection may assess that the subject matter is fit for judgment as it stands.
"As it stands" means the circuit assesses whether the subject matter is fit for judgment in the state of the papers and evidence it has. The article gives the circuit a power of assessment; it does not oblige it to do anything, and it does not state here what follows from this assessment, which goes back to Article 202 of the Law, whose text this explanation does not include.
The practical benefit of this article is that it makes clear who has the power to assess whether the subject matter is fit for judgment after the second reversal, namely the circuit hearing the objection. So the parties to the case at this stage deal with that circuit.
The article follows Article 147, which provides that judgments of death, stoning, amputation and retribution, if reversed, decided anew and then brought to the Supreme Court, are heard by the circuit that previously heard them. It is followed by Article 149, which allows any of the parties to request reconsideration of a final judgment imposing a penalty. If the judgment in your case has been reversed twice, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases to understand your position.
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 148 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
What happens if the Supreme Court reverses the judgment a second time?
The circuit hearing the objection may assess that the subject matter, as it stands, is fit for judgment, under Article 202 of the Law.
Is the circuit obliged to rule on the merits after the second reversal?
The article made this a matter of assessment for the circuit hearing the objection, not an obligation.
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.

