Article 164 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 164 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل السادس: إجراءات الجلسة ونظامها
Article 164 permits the court to summon any witness it considers needs to be heard or questioned again, and to hear anyone who attends of his own accord if that helps reveal the truth.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة أن تستدعي أي شاهد ترى حاجة إلى سماع أقواله، أو ترى حاجة إلى إعادة سؤاله. ولها كذلك أن تسمع من أي شخص يحضر من تلقاء نفسه إذا وجدت أن في ذلك فائدة لكشف الحقيقة.
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 164 explained in plain English
This article gives the court an active role in gathering evidence, so the hearing of witnesses is not limited to what the litigants request. It contains two powers:
- Summoning witnesses: the court may summon any witness whose statements it considers it needs to hear, or whom it considers it needs to question again.
- Hearing someone who attends of his own accord: the court may hear any person who attends without being summoned, if it finds that doing so benefits the revealing of the truth.
The standard in both cases is the court's assessment: the need to hear or to question again in the first, and the benefit for revealing the truth in the second. A person's attending of his own accord does not oblige the court to hear him; the matter is left to its assessment.
This article complements Article 163, which gives each litigant the right to ask that witnesses he or she names be heard, while the court may reject the request if it considers that its purpose is delay, malice or misleading or that there is no benefit in it. It is also connected to Article 165, which requires everyone called to give testimony by order of the judge to attend at the time and place specified, subject to what is established by Sharia for testimony in hudud cases.
A person who has information about a case being heard and wants to give it, or a party who considers it important that a particular person be heard, can discuss this with a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
Khaled witnessed a brawl in one of the neighborhoods of Riyadh, and when he learned the case was before the court, he attended of his own accord. Under this article, the court may hear his statements if it finds that doing so benefits the revealing of the truth.
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 164 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Can the court summon a witness the litigants did not ask for?
Yes. The court may summon any witness whose statements it considers it needs to hear, or whom it considers it needs to question again.
Can I testify in a case without being summoned?
The court may hear any person who attends of his own accord if it finds that doing so benefits the revealing of the truth.
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.