Article 170 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 170 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الثامن: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ وإجراءات تنفيذها وضوابطه
The rules and instructions relevant to carrying out criminal judgments apply to everything for which the Law and the Regulations contain no specific provision.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تطبق الضوابط والتعليمات ذات الصلة بتنفيذ الأحكام الجزائية، وذلك فيما لم يرد به نص خاص في النظام واللائحة.
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 170 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law is a gap-filling article. It shows what is referred to on matters of carrying out criminal judgments that no provision addresses.
The rule: the rules and instructions relevant to carrying out criminal judgments apply where the Law and the Regulations contain no specific provision.
This produces a clear order:
- If a specific provision in the Criminal Procedure Law or in these Regulations governs the matter, that provision applies.
- If there is no specific provision, the rules and instructions relevant to carrying out criminal judgments apply.
The article does not name these rules and instructions, or say which body issues them or what they contain, so their details cannot be known from its text alone.
This article comes after a group of detailed articles in Part Eight of the Regulations, including Article 168, which requires a record of carrying out the sentence to be made with specified contents, and Article 169, which requires the judgment instrument to be sent after execution to the court so that the circuit that issued it can annotate it with the execution and then return it to be attached to the case file. Article 171 also provides that the provisions of this Part do not prejudice the Authority's powers to supervise the carrying out of criminal judgments under its law.
Anyone who needs to know the rules that apply to carrying out a particular judgment is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
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 170 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
What applies if the Law or the Regulations contain no provision on a matter of execution?
The rules and instructions relevant to carrying out criminal judgments apply.
Do these instructions take precedence over the provisions of the Law and the Regulations?
No. They apply only where the Law and the Regulations contain no specific provision.
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.

