Article 131 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 131 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الأول: الاختصاصات الجزائية
The article defines the place of the crime as every place in which any of its acts occurred, or in which a required act was omitted and physical harm resulted from the omission.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعد مكانًا للجريمة كل مكان وقع فيه فعل من أفعالها، أو ترك فعل - يتعين القيام به - حصل بسبب تركه ضرر جسدي.
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 131 explained in plain English
This article specifies the meaning of "the place of the crime," which is one of the criteria of local jurisdiction in Article 130, alongside the accused's place of residence and the place of his arrest when he has no known place of residence.
According to the text, the following is a place of the crime:
- Every place in which any of its acts occurred: if the acts of a single crime are spread over more than one place, each of them is a place of the crime.
- The place where an act that had to be done was omitted: on the condition that physical harm resulted from the omission.
The second case shows that a crime may rest on omission and not only on an act, but the text here confines this ruling to omission that resulted in physical harm, and does not address anything else.
The importance of this definition is practical: it determines the courts to which the case may be brought on the basis of the place where the crime occurred. Anyone whose case is connected with more than one city may consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases to learn the competent court.
Practical example
A person lured his victim from Riyadh by a ruse and then committed other acts of the same crime against her in Al-Qassim. Under this article, every place in which an act of this crime occurred is a place of the crime.
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 131 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
What is meant by the place of the crime?
Every place in which any of its acts occurred, or in which an act that had to be done was omitted and physical harm resulted from the omission.
Can a crime have more than one place?
Yes. The text treats every place in which any of its acts occurred as a place of the crime.
Is omitting to do something a crime with a place?
The text treats the place where a required act was omitted as a place of the crime if physical harm resulted from the omission.
More articles on Dismissing the Case and Criminal Jurisdiction
- Article 5
The article bars referring a case already brought before a court to another court or body, or anyone withdrawing it, before judgment, and treats the case as brought from the date it is registered at the court.
إذا رفعت قضية إلى محكمة فلا تجوز إحالتها إلى محكمة أو جهة أخرى ولا يحق لأحد سحبها منها قبل الحكم فيها، وتعد القضية مرفوعة من تاريخ قيدها في المحكمة.
- Article 63
If the investigator sees no basis to proceed with the case, he may recommend that the papers be archived, and the archiving order is issued by the head of the department to which he belongs.
للمحقق إذا رأى أن لا وجه للسير في الدعوى أن يوصي بحفظ الأوراق، ولرئيس الدائرة التي يتبعها المحقق الأمر بحفظها.
- Article 64
If an order archiving the case is issued, the investigator must notify the victim and the private claimant, and if one of them has died, all his heirs at the deceased's place of residence.
إذا صدر أمر بالحفظ وجب على المحقق إبلاغ المجني عليه والمدعي بالحق الخاص، وفي حال وفاة أحدهما يكون الإبلاغ لورثته جميعهم في مكان إقامة المتوفى.
- Article 65
The accused may use an agent or lawyer to attend the investigation; investigation is required in all major crimes, and for other crimes the investigator may investigate or bring the case directly to court.
للمتهم حق الاستعانة بوكيل أو محام لحضور التحقيق. ويجب على المحقق أن يقوم بالتحقيق في جميع الجرائم الكبيرة وفقًا لما هو منصوص عليه في هذا النظام. وله في غير هذه
- Article 91
The article requires a decision on how seized items are to be disposed of when an order is made to close the case, and also when judgment is given if their return is claimed before the court.
يجب - عند صدور أمر بحفظ الدعوى - أن يُفْصَل في كيفية التصرف في الأشياء المضبوطة، وكذلك الحال عند الحكم في الدعوى إذا حصلت المطالبة بردها أمام المحكمة.
- Article 93
The article allows the court within whose jurisdiction the place of the investigation falls to refer the parties to litigation before the competent court, with the seized items possibly placed under guard or other precautionary measures taken.
للمحكمة التي يقع في دائرتها مكان التحقيق أن تأمر بإحالة الخصوم للتقاضي أمام المحكمة المختصة إذا رأت موجبًا لذلك. وفي هذه الحال يجوز وضع الأشياء المضبوطة تحت الح
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.