Article 49 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 49 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الأول: تصرفات المحقق
The article requires litigants' requests during an investigation to be written, dated and signed, to be decided by the investigator within five days or 24 hours if urgent, and to be recorded in the report.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تقدم طلبات الخصوم - أثناء التحقيق - مكتوبة ومؤرخة وموقعة من مقدمها، وعلى المحقق أن يفصل فيها خلال خمسة أيام من تاريخ قيدها، ما لم تتعلق بأمور لها صفة الاستعجال؛ فيتعين الفصل فيها خلال (أربع وعشرين) ساعة، وفي جميع الأحوال على المحقق أن يثبت طلبات الخصوم في محضر التحقيق.
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 49 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law regulates how litigants' requests are submitted during an investigation, and the period within which the investigator must decide them.
1- Form of the request: It must be:
- written,
- dated,
- signed by the person submitting it.
2- Period for deciding:
- The rule: the investigator decides the request within 5 days of the date it is registered.
- The exception: if the request concerns urgent matters, it must be decided within 24 hours.
Note that the period runs from the date the request is registered.
3- Recording in the report: In all cases, the investigator must record litigants' requests in the investigation report, whether he accepts or rejects them.
What does this mean for you? If you are a party to an investigation and want to submit a request, make sure it is written, dated and signed by you; this is the form the article requires, and it ensures your request is recorded in the investigation report. The article does not specify what counts as urgent matters, or what follows if the period is exceeded.
If you are a party to a case and want to know how this provision affects your situation, you can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
An accused person's lawyer in Dammam submitted a written, dated and signed request to hear a witness. The investigator must decide it within 5 days of the date it is registered, and record it in the investigation report. If the request concerned an urgent matter, it would have to be decided within 24 hours.
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 49 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
How many days does the investigator have to respond to my request?
The investigator decides the request within 5 days of the date it is registered, or within 24 hours if it concerns urgent matters.
Does the investigator accept an oral request?
The article provides that litigants' requests are submitted in writing, dated and signed by the person submitting them.
Is my request recorded in the investigation report?
Yes, in all cases the investigator must record litigants' requests in the investigation report.
More articles on Investigation and Inspection Procedures
- Article 8
The article explains the in-law relationship and the enmity that bar a member of the Authority from handling a case, and lets any opponent request disqualification of the investigator before or during the investigation.
1- لا يشترط لقيام صلة المصاهرة المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (1) من المادة (الحادية والعشرين) من النظام؛ أن تكون رابطة الزوجية قائمة. 2 - العداوة التي تمنع عضو الهيئة
- 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 44
The article sets the conditions for the validity of the delegation in Article 66 of the Law, and explains when the delegated officer must be named and when identifying his job function is enough.
1- يشترط لصحة الندب - الوارد في المادة (السادسة والستين) من النظام - أن يصدر صريحاً ممن يملكه، وأن يكون مثبتاً بالكتابة، ويبين فيه اسم من أصدره، ووظيفته وتوقيعه
- Article 45
The article makes the delegate responsible for assessing the fear of running out of time referred to in Article 67 of the Law, subject to the Bureau's oversight.
يكون تقدير خشية فوات الوقت المشار إليه في المادة (السابعة والستين) من النظام للمندوب، ويخضع هذا التقدير لرقابة الهيئة.
- Article 46
The article directs inquiries from government bodies to the Bureau or the body handling the case, without anything that may affect the investigation, and provides that the Bureau informing them is not a disclosure of secrets.
1- توجه استفسارات الجهات الحكومية ذات العلاقة إلى الهيئة، أو إلى الجهة التي لديها القضية، على ألا يشتمل الاستفسار أو الإجابة على ما قد يؤثر في سير التحقيق أو إج
- Article 47
The article regulates adding the private claimant's claim to the case file, attendance at investigation procedures and barring it when necessary, multiple lawyers, and the duty not to disclose investigation secrets.
1- إذا قبل المحقق ادعاء المدعي بالحق الخاص استناداً إلى الفقرة (1) من المادة (التاسعة والستين) من النظام؛ فيلحقه بملف الدعوى، ويشير إليه في لائحة الدعوى. 2 - يك
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.