Article 117 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 117 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثامن: أمر التوقيف
The article bars execution of arrest, bringing-in or detention orders after six months from the date of their issue unless they are renewed for another period.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز تنفيذ أوامر القبض أو الإحضار أو التوقيف بعد مضي ستة أشهر من تاريخ صدورها ما لم تجدد لمدة أخرى.
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 117 explained in plain English
This article sets a period of validity for arrest, bringing-in and detention orders, so they do not remain enforceable indefinitely:
- Orders covered: orders of arrest, bringing-in or detention.
- Period: they may not be executed after six months from the date of their issue.
- Exception: if they have been renewed for another period, they may be executed during the renewal period.
The period is counted from the date the order was issued, not from the date the person learns of it. The article does not state the length of the other period upon renewal, nor the authority that renews the order or the procedures for renewal.
The text is understood to mean that the passage of six months without renewal prevents execution of the order, but the text does not address the effect of that on the case itself or on the possibility of issuing a new order.
This article is connected to Article 116, which requires everyone who is arrested or detained to be informed immediately of the reasons for his arrest or detention, and gives him the right to contact whomever he sees fit to inform him. And to Article 118, which does not allow the head of a prison or detention facility to permit any public authority officer to contact the detainee except with written permission from the investigator.
Anyone who learned some time ago that an arrest or detention order had been issued against him would do best to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases to learn the status of the order.
Practical example
An order was issued for the arrest of Mansour in a case in Al-Ahsa, and six months passed from its date of issue without its being executed or renewed. Under this article this order may not be executed unless it is renewed for another period.
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 117 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
How long is an arrest order valid?
Orders of arrest, bringing-in or detention may not be executed after six months from the date of their issue unless they are renewed for another period.
Can an arrest order be renewed after six months?
The text refers to the possibility of renewing the order for another period, in which case it may then be executed.
From when is the six-month period counted?
From the date the order was issued.
More articles on Detention and Provisional Release
- Article 103
The article allows the investigator, in all cases, to decide that the person sought for investigation must appear, or to issue an order for his arrest if the circumstances of the investigation require it.
للمحقق في جميع القضايا أن يقرر - بحسب الأحوال - حضور الشخص المطلوب التحقيق معه، أو يصدر أمرًا بالقبض عليه إذا كانت ظروف التحقيق تستلزم ذلك.
- Article 104
The article specifies the particulars required in an order to appear, those added in an arrest and bringing-in order, and those further added in a detention order.
يجب أن يشمل كل أمر بالحضور اسم الشخص المطلوب رباعيًا، وجنسيته، ومهنته أو وظيفته، ومكان إقامته، وتاريخ الأمر، وساعة الحضور وتاريخه، واسم المحقق وتوقيعه، والختم ا
- Article 105
The article provides that an order to appear is served by a bailiff or a public authority officer, with a copy delivered to the person if found, and otherwise to a member of his family of full legal capacity who lives with him.
يبلغ الأمر بالحضور إلى الشخص المطلوب التحقيق معه بوساطة أحد المحضرين أو رجال السلطة العامة، وتسلم إليه صورة منه إن وجد، وإلا فتسلم إلى أحد أفراد أسرته الكامل ال
- Article 106
The article provides that the orders issued by the investigator are enforceable throughout the Kingdom.
تكون الأوامر التي يصدرها المحقق نافذة في جميع أنحاء المملكة.
- Article 107
The article allows the investigator to issue an order to arrest and bring in the accused if he does not appear after being formally summoned without an acceptable excuse, if he is feared to flee, or if the crime is in flagrante delicto, even where detention is not permitted.
إذا لم يحضر المتهم - بعد تكليفه بالحضور رسميًا - من غير عذر مقبول، أو إذا خيف هربه، أو كانت الجريمة في حال تلبس؛ جاز للمحقق أن يصدر أمرًا بالقبض عليه وإحضاره ول
- Article 108
The article requires an accused with no known place of residence to designate a place acceptable to the investigator, failing which the investigator may issue an order for his detention.
إذا لم يكن للمتهم مكان إقامة معروف فعليه أن يعين مكانًا يقبله المحقق، وإلا جاز للمحقق أن يصدر أمرًا بتوقيفه.
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.