Article 61 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 61 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الرابع: التصرف في الأشياء المضبوطة
This article of the Regulations requires the investigator to take what is necessary to destroy seized items whose possession is prohibited by sharia or law, or to demand confiscation of those subject to confiscation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كانت المضبوطات مما تُمنع حيازته شرعاً أو نظاماً، أو كانت محلاً للمصادرة؛ فعلى المحقق إجراء ما يلزم حيال إتلافها أو المطالبة بمصادرتها، وذلك بحسب الأحوال.
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 61 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law deals with the fate of a special kind of item seized during a case: seized items that people may not own or keep.
The article distinguishes between two cases:
- Seized items whose possession is prohibited by sharia or law: items that no one may possess at all.
- Seized items that are subject to confiscation: that is, those whose ownership by their owner may end through confiscation.
In both cases the duty falls on the investigator, who must take what is necessary to destroy them or to demand their confiscation, "as the case may be", that is, according to the nature of the seized item and the circumstances of the case. The article does not specify the method or procedures of destruction; it states the duty without detailing how it is carried out.
This article is linked to Article 60 of the Regulations, which requires the investigator to issue an order attaching items seized during the investigation if they are subject to confiscation; attachment is a first step, then comes destruction or demanding confiscation. It is also linked to Article 62, which makes returning seized items the investigator's responsibility before the case is filed with the court, and that of the head of the judicial circuit after it is filed; prohibited items or those subject to confiscation do not fall within the ordinary return to their owner but are dealt with under this article.
If items were seized from you and you believe they are neither prohibited nor subject to confiscation, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases to learn how to claim them.
Practical example
During an investigation in a case in Riyadh, materials whose possession is prohibited by law were seized from one of the accused. These materials are not returned to him; instead the investigator takes what is necessary to destroy them or to demand their confiscation, according to their condition.
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 61 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Are prohibited seized items returned to their owner?
If seized items are things whose possession is prohibited by sharia or law, the investigator must take what is necessary to destroy them or to demand their confiscation, as the case may be.
Who is responsible for destroying seized items or demanding their confiscation?
The article places that on the investigator.
Does the article specify how seized items are destroyed?
No, the article requires the investigator to take what is necessary, as the case may be, without stating the method or procedures of destruction.
More articles on Seized Items and Their Return
- Article 35
The article regulates sealing and guarding after a search, securing weapons, explosives, narcotics, cash and jewelry, handing over seized items, and the ban on disposing of them without the Bureau's permission.
1- على رجل الضبط الجنائي قبل مغادرة مكان التفتيش أن يضع الأختام على الأماكن التي فيها آثار أو أشياء تفيد في كشف الحقيقة ويتعذر تحريزها، أو أن يضعها تحت الحراسة.
- Article 36
The article makes breaking the seals on containers of seized items the investigator's task after checking the seal is intact, with a report, resealing, and inviting the accused, his agent or the person from whom the items were seized.
1- يكون فض أختام أحراز المضبوطات - استناداً إلى المادة (الحادية والخمسين) من النظام - بمعرفة المحقق. وعليه أن يتأكد من سلامة الختم قبل فضه، ويحرَّر محضرٌ بذلك،
- Article 55
The article sets what the investigator does on reaching the crime scene: inspecting, recording and hearing initial information, with the option of sealing places, and requires seizing and securing whatever relates to the crime.
1- يبدأ المحقق فور وصوله إلى مكان وقوع الجريمة بإجراء المعاينة اللازمة، وإلقاء نظرة فاحصة وشاملة على مكان وقوع الجريمة، ويثبت حالة الأشخاص، والأشياء، والآثار ال
- Article 60
The article requires the investigator to issue an order attaching items seized during the investigation if they are subject to confiscation.
إذا كانت الاشياء التي ضبطت أثناء التحقيق محلاً للمصادرة؛ فيصدر المحقق أمراً بحجزها.
- Article 62
This article of the Regulations specifies who is competent to return seized items: the investigator before the case is filed with the court, and the head of the judicial circuit after it is filed.
يختص المحقق برد المضبوطات قبل رفع القضية إلى المحكمة، وبعد رفعها يكون ذلك من اختصاص رئيس الدائرة القضائية.
- Article 63
This article of the Regulations specifies the competent court referred to in Article 90 of the Law, and what it does where seized items are disputed or it is doubtful who is entitled to receive them.
1- المحكمة المختصة الوارد ذكرها في المادة (التسعين) من النظام هي المحكمة المختصة المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثامنة والثمانين) من النظام. 2- إذا رفع الأمر إلى الم
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.