Article 14 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 14 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
The article requires all officers of public authority to carry out the orders of judicial bodies issued under the Law, and allows them to use the appropriate means to carry them out.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على جميع رجال السلطة العامة أن ينفذوا أوامر الجهات القضائية الصادرة طبقًا لهذا النظام، ولهم أن يستعملوا الوسيلة المناسبة لتنفيذها.
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 14 explained in plain English
This article ensures that the orders of judicial bodies have real enforcement force, and it contains two rules:
- Duty to carry out: All officers of public authority must carry out the orders of the judicial bodies; the duty is not limited to one body or another.
- The appropriate means: They may use the appropriate means to carry out those orders.
The article contains two important limits:
- The orders must be issued under this Law; the duty relates to orders issued under the Criminal Procedure Law.
- The means must be appropriate; the article does not leave the use of any means unrestricted, but limits it to the appropriate. This is read with Article 2, which prohibits harming an arrested person physically or morally or subjecting him to torture or treatment degrading to dignity.
This article is connected to Article 13, which assigns investigation and public prosecution to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, and to Article 15, under which the Bureau has jurisdiction to bring the criminal case and pursue it before the competent courts.
Anyone with an objection to the way a judicial order against him is carried out would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
A judicial body issued an order to bring a person accused in a case in Qassim. Under this article, officers of public authority must carry out this order and may use the appropriate means to do so, without harm or insult as Article 2 prohibits.
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 14 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Must officers of public authority carry out the orders of judicial bodies?
Yes. The article provides that all officers of public authority must carry out the orders of the judicial bodies issued under this Law.
May any means be used to carry out a judicial order?
The article allows using the appropriate means to carry out the orders, so the means is limited to being appropriate.
More articles on Arrest and Flagrant Offenses
- Article 2
The article bars arresting, searching, detaining or imprisoning any person except in the cases provided by law, and prohibits harming, torturing or degrading an arrested person.
لا يجوز القبض على أي إنسان، أو تفتيشه، أو توقيفه، أو سجنه، إلا في الأحوال المنصوص عليها نظامًا، ولا يكون التوقيف أو السجن إلا في الأماكن المخصصة لكل منهما وللمد
- Article 24
The article defines judicial police officers as the persons who search for the perpetrators of crimes and gather the information and evidence needed for investigation and bringing charges.
رجال الضبط الجنائي هم الأشخاص الذين يقومون بالبحث عن مرتكبي الجرائم وجمع المعلومات والأدلة اللازمة للتحقيق وتوجيه الاتهام.
- Article 25Amended (1443 AH)
The article places judicial police officers, in their judicial police functions, under the supervision of the Public Prosecution, and allows it to request disciplinary accountability for violators or negligent officers, without prejudice to the right to bring a criminal action.
يخضع رجال الضبط الجنائي - فيما يتعلق بوظائفهم في الضبط الجنائي المقررة في هذا النظام - لإشراف النيابة العامة. وللنيابة العامة أن تطلب من الجهة المختصة النظر في
- Article 26
The article lists the categories that carry out judicial police work, each according to its assigned tasks, from members of the Investigation and Public Prosecution and police directors to those authorized by special laws.
يقوم بأعمال الضبط الجنائي - بحسب المهمات الموكولة إليه - كل من: 1 - أعضاء هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام، في مجال اختصاصهم. 2 - مديري الشرط ومعاونيهم في المدن والم
- Article 27
The article requires judicial police officers to accept reports and complaints in all crimes, examine and document them and notify the Authority immediately, and to go to the scene to preserve it and seize the evidence.
على رجال الضبط الجنائي كل بحسب اختصاصه أن يقبلوا البلاغات والشكاوى التي ترد إليهم في جميع الجرائم، وعليهم وعلى مرءوسيهم تحت إشرافهم أن يقوموا بفحصها وجمع المعلو
- Article 28
The article allows judicial police officers, while gathering information, to hear those who have information and question the person accused of the crime, record this in their records, and seek the written opinion of experts.
لرجال الضبط الجنائي أثناء جمع المعلومات أن يستمعوا إلى أقوال من لديهم معلومات عن الوقائع الجنائية ومرتكبيها، وأن يسألوا من نسب إليه ارتكابها، ويثبتوا ذلك في محا
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.