Article 155 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 155 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل السادس: إجراءات الجلسة ونظامها
Article 155 requires a clerk to attend and write the minutes of the session under the presiding judge's supervision, specifies what the minutes must record, and who signs them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن يحضر جلسات المحكمة كاتب يتولى تحرير محضر الجلسة تحت إشراف رئيس الجلسة. ويبين في المحضر اسم القاضي أو القضاة المكونين لهيئة المحكمة والمدعي العام، ومكان انعقاد الجلسة، ووقت انعقادها، ومستند نظر الدعوى، وأسماء الخصوم الحاضرين، والمدافعين عنهم، وأقوالهم وطلباتهم، وملخص مرافعاتهم، والأدلة من شهادة وغيرها، وجميع الإجراءات التي تتخذ في الجلسة، ومنطوق الحكم ومستنده. ويوقع رئيس الجلسة والقضاة المشاركون معه والكاتب ومن حضر من الخصوم والمدافعين عنهم والشهود وغيرهم على محضر الجلسة. فإن امتنع أحدهم عن التوقيع أُثبت ذلك في المحضر.
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 155 explained in plain English
This article regulates the minutes of the session, which are the written record of what takes place in court sessions. It requires that a clerk attend the sessions and write the minutes under the supervision of the presiding judge.
The minutes must state:
- the name of the judge or judges making up the court panel, and the public prosecutor;
- the place and time of the session, and the basis on which the case is heard;
- the names of the litigants present and those defending them, their statements and requests, and a summary of their pleadings;
- the evidence, whether testimony or otherwise, and all the procedures taken in the session; and
- the operative part of the judgment and its basis.
The minutes are signed by the presiding judge, the judges sitting with him, and the clerk, as well as by those present among the litigants, those defending them, the witnesses and others. If any of them refuses to sign, the refusal is recorded in the minutes, so the refusal does not prevent the minutes from being completed.
The importance of this for litigants is that what they say and request is written down in the minutes, so the accused or his or her lawyer takes care that their requests and defenses are recorded. This is connected to Article 154, which makes openness the rule for sessions, and to Article 156, which requires the public prosecutor to attend court sessions on the public right in the offenses the regulations of the Law specify.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 155 of Criminal Procedure Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Criminal Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Criminal Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Law
- Commercial & Corporate Law
Frequently asked questions about Article 155 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Who writes the minutes of a criminal court session?
A clerk who attends the sessions writes them under the supervision of the presiding judge.
What happens if one of those present refuses to sign the minutes?
The refusal to sign is recorded in the minutes.
Are the litigants' statements written in the minutes?
Yes. The minutes state the names of the litigants present and those defending them, their statements, their requests and a summary of their pleadings.
More articles on Criminal Trial Procedures
- Article 1
The article requires the courts to apply Sharia rules and the regulations that do not conflict with the Quran and the Sunnah, and to observe the procedures of the Criminal Procedure Law when hearing cases.
تطبق المحاكم على القضايا المعروضة أمامها أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية، وفقًا لما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة، وما يصدره ولي الأمر من أنظمة لا تتعارض مع الكتاب والسنة، وتتق
- 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 6
The article makes trying the accused the role of the courts under Sharia requirements and the Law's procedures, and allows the court to consider facts the public prosecutor did not allege if they need no investigation.
تتولى المحاكم محاكمة المتهمين فيما يسند إليهم من تهم وفقًا للمقتضى الشرعي وطبقًا للإجراءات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام. وللمحكمة أن تنظر في وقائع غير مدعى بها م
- Article 7
The article requires the number of judges required by law to attend the sessions hearing a case and the judgment session, and says who is assigned to complete the quorum if the number is not met.
يجب أن يحضر جلسات النظر في القضية وجلسة إصدار الحكم العدد اللازم نظامًا من القضاة؛ فإن لم يتوافر العدد اللازم فيكلف رئيس المحكمة من يكمل النصاب من قضاتها، فإن ت
- Article 12
The article refers the investigation of juveniles and girls, and their trial, to the laws and regulations governing that.
يكون التحقيق مع الأحداث والفتيات ومحاكمتهم وفقًا للأنظمة واللوائح المنظمة لذلك.
- Article 18
The article provides that if the court finds a conflict between the interest of the victim or his heir and that of his representative, the representative is barred from continuing to plead and another representative is appointed.
إذا ظهر للمحكمة تعارض بين مصلحة المجني عليه أو وارثه من بعده وبين مصلحة نائبه؛ فَيُمْنَع النائب من الاستمرار في المرافعة، ويقام نائب آخر.
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.