Article 158 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 158 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الثامن: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ وإجراءات تنفيذها وضوابطه
The will of a person sentenced to death or stoning is established by the personal status court, which may assign one of its judges to go and establish it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يكون إثبات وصية المحكوم عليه بالقتل أو الرجم، من قبل محكمة الأحوال الشخصية، ولها أن تكلف أحد قضاتها بالانتقال لإثبات ذلك.
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 158 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law addresses a humanitarian and legal matter concerning a person sentenced to death or stoning: establishing his or her will.
The article contains two provisions:
- Competent body: the will of a person sentenced to death or stoning is established by the personal status court, not by the criminal court that issued the judgment.
- Travel to establish it: the personal status court may assign one of its judges to go and establish the will.
This article does not address the content of the will, the conditions for its validity, or the limits of what may be bequeathed. It only specifies the body that establishes it and how that body goes about it. The rules on wills themselves are outside the scope of this article.
This article is among the judgment-execution articles in Part Eight of the Regulations, which include Article 157, requiring a medical examination before corporal sentences are carried out and postponing execution for pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women, and Article 159, which assigns the security authority to keep the execution site secure and bans photography by anyone other than the competent authorities.
Because the matter combines criminal adjudication with the rules on wills, the family of the convicted person may need to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases, or a lawyer who specializes in personal status matters as to the will itself.
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 158 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Who establishes the will of a person sentenced to death?
The personal status court establishes the will of a person sentenced to death or stoning.
Can a judge travel to establish the will?
The personal status court may assign one of its judges to go and establish the will.
Does the article specify what the will may contain?
No. The article only specifies the body competent to establish the will and that one of its judges may travel for that purpose.
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.