Article 20 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 20 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثاني: القبض على المتهم
The article fixes the start of the twenty-four-hour period in Article 34 of the Law: from the time of arrest for the criminal investigation officer, and from the time the accused reaches him for the investigator.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تبدأ مهلة الأربع والعشرين ساعة المشار إليها في المادة (الرابعة والثلاثين) من النظام بالنسبة لرجل الضبط الجنائي من وقت القبض على المتهم، وتبدأ المهلة بالنسبة للمحقق من وقت وصول المتهم إليه.
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 20 explained in plain English
This article of the Regulations determines when the twenty-four-hour period begins referred to in Article 34 of the Criminal Procedure Law. The article distinguishes between two stages:
- For the criminal investigation officer: the period begins from the time of arresting the accused.
- For the investigator: the period begins from the time the accused reaches him.
So the criminal investigation officer and the investigator each have an independent period, and the start of each is different. The importance of this determination is that the counting of the period does not begin from a later time chosen by whoever carries out the procedure, but from a moment specified in the text: the moment of actual arrest for the officer, and the moment of actual arrival for the investigator.
This article does not state what must be done during the period or the consequences of its expiry, which is set out in Article 34 of the Law itself; the Regulations' role here is only to fix the starting point.
This article comes after Article 19, which explains the sufficient evidence for arrest and informing the Authority of arrest of a person caught in the act, and before Article 21, which sets the contents of the arrest order. Because counting the periods of arrest bears directly on a person's liberty, anyone who believes that a period was exceeded in his case or his relative's should consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A person was arrested at 10 p.m. in Khobar and reached the investigator at 8 p.m. the next day. The criminal investigation officer's period began at 10 p.m., the time of arrest, and the investigator's period begins at 8 p.m., the time the accused reached him.
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 20 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
When does the 24-hour period begin after the accused is arrested?
For the criminal investigation officer, from the time of arresting the accused, and for the investigator, from the time the accused reaches him.
Does the investigator have a period independent of the police's period?
Yes. The article distinguishes between the two periods, and the investigator's period begins from the time the accused reaches him.
More articles on Criminal Seizure and Arresting the Accused
- Article 12
The article clarifies that the competent body referred to in Article 25 of the Law is the body to which the criminal investigation officer belongs.
الجهة المختصة المشار إليها في المادة (الخامسة والعشرين) من النظام هي الجهة التي يتبع لها رجل الضبط الجنائي.
- Article 13
The article explains that criminal investigation work under paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Law is carried out by police directors as well as the individuals and persons assigned to assist them.
يقوم بأعمال الضبط الجنائي - وفقاً لما ورد في الفقرة (2) من المادة (السادسة والعشرين) من النظام - بالإضافة إلى مديري الشرط، الأفراد والأشخاص المكلفون بمعاونتهم.
- Article 14
The article allows the criminal investigation officer to seek the help of other public authority personnel whenever the matter requires it during the performance of his duties.
لرجل الضبط الجنائي - في سبيل قيامه بواجباته - أن يستعين بغيره من رجال السلطة العامة متى اقتضى الأمر ذلك.
- Article 15
The article requires criminal investigation officers to accept reports and complaints in all crimes, oral or written, from a known or unknown source, and regulates referral and the register of reports.
1- يقبل رجال الضبط الجنائي - كل بحسب اختصاصه - البلاغات والشكاوى في جميع الجرائم، سواء كانت مشافهة، أو كتابة، معلومة المصدر أو مجهولته. 2 - إذا قُدم البلاغ أو ا
- Article 16
The article sets the contents of the officer's record on going to the scene of the crime, requires him to show his identity, and regulates acting outside his jurisdiction, informing the Authority and continuing inquiries.
1 - يقوم رجـل الضبط الجنائي - عند الانتقال إلى مكان وقوع الجريمة بحسب المادة (السابعة والعشرين) من النظام - بتحرير محضر يشتمل على ما يأتي: أ) تاريخ اتخاذ الإجرا
- Article 18
The article prevents the criminal investigation officer from obstructing first aid to the injured at the scene of the crime on the pretext of drawing up the record under Article 32 of the Law.
لا يجوز لرجل الضبط الجنائي - من أجل تحرير المحضر وفقاً للمادة (الثانية والثلاثين) من النظام - أن يحول دون إسعاف المصابين في مكان وقوع الجريمة.
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.