Article 156 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 156 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الثامن: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ وإجراءات تنفيذها وضوابطه
A committee is formed in each city and governorate representing the administrative governor, the court, the Commission and the police to witness corporal sentences, with a member of the Authority and a doctor attending some of them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تشكل في كل مدينة ومحافظة لجنة من مندوبين يمثلون الحاكم الإداري والمحكمة وهيئة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر والشرطة لتشهد تنفيذ الأحكام الصادرة بالقتل، أو القطع، أو الرجم، أو الجلد، أو القصاص في النفس أو فيما دونها، ويعين رئيسَها الحاكمُ الإداري، وله - عند الاقتضاء - تشكيل لجنة أخرى أو أكثر.
2 - تسمي كل من الجهات المشار إليها في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة من يمثلها في اللجنة، على أن يكون عارفاً بكيفية تنفيذ العقوبات.
3 - يجب أن يحضر عند تنفيذ الأحكام الصادرة بالقتل، أو القطع، أو الرجم، أو القصاص في النفس أو فيما دونها - بالإضافة إلى اللجنة - عضو من الهيئة وطبيب مختص.
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 156 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law establishes a committee that witnesses the carrying out of corporal sentences, meaning sentences of death, amputation, stoning, flogging, or retaliation (qisas) against a person or for lesser injuries.
Forming the committee
- It is formed in each city and governorate from delegates representing the administrative governor, the court, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and the police.
- The administrative governor appoints the head of the committee and, where necessary, may form one or more additional committees.
- Each of these bodies names its representative, who must be knowledgeable about how sentences are carried out.
Additional required attendance
When carrying out sentences of death, amputation, stoning, or retaliation against a person or for lesser injuries, a member of the Authority (the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, as defined in Article 1 of the Regulations) and a specialist doctor must attend in addition to the committee. Note that flogging is not mentioned in this paragraph, unlike the first paragraph, which includes it.
The article is linked to Article 155, which makes the administrative governor responsible for determining who carries out the sentence and sets requirements for that person, and to Article 157, which requires a medical examination of the convicted person before these sentences are carried out, with an exception for a male convicted person when the sentence is death, stoning, or retaliation against a person.
Anyone who needs to know the procedures for carrying out a particular sentence is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
In one governorate two sentences were issued: the first for flogging and the second for amputation. The committee formed in the governorate witnesses the carrying out of both sentences, but carrying out the amputation sentence also requires, in addition to the committee, the attendance of a member of the Authority and a specialist doctor.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCriminal Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Criminal Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 156 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Who are the members of the committee that witnesses the carrying out of sentences?
Delegates representing the administrative governor, the court, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and the police. The administrative governor appoints its head.
Does a doctor attend when a sentence is carried out?
A specialist doctor and a member of the Authority must attend, in addition to the committee, when sentences of death, amputation, stoning, or retaliation against a person or for lesser injuries are carried out.
Can more than one committee be formed in a city?
Yes. Where necessary, the administrative governor may form one or more additional committees.
More articles on Executing Criminal Judgments
- Article 149
This article of the Regulations allows any party to request reconsideration of a final judgment imposing a penalty even after it is executed or the penalty lapses, and requires both judgments to be final for a contradiction to arise.
1- يحق لأيٍّ من الخصوم طلب إعادة النظر في الحكم النهائي الصادر بالعقوبة ولو بعد تنفيذه، أو سقـوط العقوبة بالعفو أو الصلح أو وفاة المحكوم عليه. 2 - يُشترط لتحقق
- Article 150
This article of the Regulations requires an order to stay execution of a judgment issued under Article 206 of the Law to be recorded in the case record and notified immediately to the execution authority by official letter.
إذا صدر أمر إيقاف تنفيذ الحكم - وفقا للمادة (السادسة بعد المائتين) من النظام - فيدون في ضبط الدعوى، ويبلغ فوراً إلى جهة التنفيذ بكتاب رسمي.
- Article 151
If part of a criminal judgment becomes final but another part does not, a certified copy is sent to the execution authority to execute only the final part.
إذا صدر الحكم في دعوى اشتملت على حقٍّ عامٍّ وحقٍّ خاصٍّ واكتسب الحكم الصفة القطعية في أحدهما دون الآخر، أو صدر الحكم في دعوى واكتسب صفة القطعية في بعضه دون بعض،
- Article 152
The article requires the court to notify the detention administration in writing of the substance of its judgment in the cases provided for in Article 213 of the Law, so the detained accused is released at once.
تُبلِّغ المحكمةُ كتابةً إدارةَ التوقيف بمضمون الحكم الذي أصدرته في الحالات المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثالثة عشرة بعد المائتين) من النظام للإفراج عن المتهم الموق
- Article 153
The article explains when a new prison sentence starts if the stay of an earlier sentence is cancelled, to whom the cancellation request is made, and that part of a discretionary prison sentence may be stayed.
1- إذا نُص في الحكم على وقف تنفيذ عقوبة السجن التعزيرية في الحق العام، وارتكب المحكوم عليه جريمة خلال المدة المشار إليها في الفقرة (2) من المادة (الرابعة عشرة ب
- Article 154
Orders to carry out criminal sentences are issued by the administrative governor, except for sentences whose execution requires an order from the King or his delegate.
فيما عدا الأحكام الجزائية التي يكون تنفيذها بعد صدور أمر من الملك أو ممن ينيبه، يصدر أمر تنفيذ الأحكام الجزائية من الحاكم الإداري.
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.