Article 13 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 13 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
The article assigns investigation and public prosecution to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, under its law and regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام التحقيق والادعاء العام طبقًا لنظامها ولائحته.
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 13 explained in plain English
This article identifies the body that carries out two basic functions in the criminal case:
- Investigation: that is, examining the crime, gathering evidence, questioning the accused, hearing witnesses and the like.
- Public prosecution: that is, bringing the charge and demanding the accused's punishment before the judiciary on behalf of society.
The article assigns these two functions to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution and provides that it exercises them under its law and regulations. The details of the Bureau's organization and its internal powers are therefore not in this article, but in the Bureau's law and its regulations.
This article is connected to Article 15, which provides that the Bureau, under its law, has jurisdiction to bring the criminal case and pursue it before the competent courts. It is also connected to Article 14, which requires all officers of public authority to carry out the orders of the judicial bodies issued under this Law.
Anyone summoned for investigation, or who wants to know his position in a criminal case, would do well to consult a lawyer specialized 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 13 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Who conducts the investigation of crimes under the Criminal Procedure Law?
The article provides that the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution carries out investigation and public prosecution under its law and regulations.
Where are the details of the investigation and prosecution body's work found?
The article refers to the Bureau's law and its regulations and does not state those details itself.
More articles on The Criminal Case and Its Extinction
- Article 15
The article makes bringing the criminal case and pursuing it before the competent courts the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, under its law.
تختص هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام - وفقًا لنظامها - بإقامة الدعوى الجزائية ومباشرتها أمام المحاكم المختصة.
- Article 16
The article gives the victim or whoever acts for him, and his heir after him, the right to bring the criminal case in cases involving a private right and pursue it, with the court notifying the public prosecutor to attend.
للمجني عليه - أو مَنْ ينوب عنه - ولوارثه من بعده، حق رفع الدعوى الجزائية في جميع القضايا التي يتعلق بها حق خاص، ومباشرة هذه الدعوى أمام المحكمة المختصة. وعلى ال
- Article 17
The article does not allow bringing the criminal case or investigating private-right crimes except upon a complaint from the victim, his representative or his heir, unless the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution sees a public interest.
لا تجوز إقامة الدعوى الجزائية أو إجراء التحقيق في الجرائم الواجب فيها حق خاص للأفراد إلا بناءً على شكوى من المجني عليه، أو ممَنْ ينوب عنه، أو وارثه من بعده إلى
- Article 19
The article requires the court, if it finds accused persons other than those the case was brought against, or other facts related to the charge, to notify whoever brought the case so the procedures can be completed.
إذا تبين للمحكمة - في دعوى مقامة أمامها - أن هناك متهمين غير من أقيمت الدعوى عليهم، أو وقائع أخرى مرتبطة بالتهمة المعروضة، فعليها إبلاغ من رفع الدعوى بذلك؛ لاست
- Article 21
The article bars a member of the Investigation and Public Prosecution from handling a case or issuing any decision in it if he has a personal connection to the crime or the parties, or has previously worked on it.
لا يجوز لعضو هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام أن يتولى أي قضية، أو يصدر أي قرار فيها، وذلك في الحالات الآتية: 1 - إذا وقعت الجريمة عليه شخصيًا، أو كان زوجًا لأحد الخ
- Article 22
The article sets four situations in which the public criminal action ends: a final judgment, the ruler's pardon where pardon applies, repentance that waives the penalty, and the death of the accused, without preventing the private-right action from continuing.
تنقضي الدعوى الجزائية العامة في إحدى الحالات الآتية: 1 - صدور حكم نهائي. 2 - عفو ولي الأمر فيما يدخله العفو. 3 - ما تكون التوبة فيه بضوابطها الشرعية مسقطة للعقو
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.