Article 182 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 182 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثامن: الحكم
Article 182 requires every ruling to be recorded in the register of rulings, kept in the case file and a certified copy handed to the parties, and formally notified once it becomes final to whomever the court sees fit.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
كل حكم يجب أن يسجل في سجل الأحكام، ما لم يقرر المجلس الأعلى للقضاء خلاف ذلك، ثم يحفظ في ملف الدعوى، وتسلم صورة مصدقة منه لكل من المتهم والمدعي العام، والمدعي بالحق الخاص إن وجد، وبعد اكتسابه صفة القطعية يبلغ رسميًا لمن ترى المحكمة إبلاغه.
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 182 explained in plain English
This article explains what happens to the criminal ruling after it is issued in terms of documentation and delivery, and contains the following provisions:
- Recording: every ruling must be recorded in the register of rulings, unless the Supreme Judicial Council decides otherwise.
- Keeping: after being recorded, the ruling is kept in the case file.
- Handing over certified copies: a certified copy of the ruling is handed to each of: the accused, the public prosecutor, and the private right claimant if there is one.
- Formal notification: after the ruling acquires finality, it is formally notified to whomever the court sees fit to notify. The article leaves it to the court to determine the bodies or persons notified and does not name them.
This article is connected to Article 181, which requires the ruling to be read out in a public session and a deed to be issued containing specified particulars, signed and sealed by the judges who took part in the ruling; the deed the court issues is what is recorded and kept and its copies handed over. Article 183 follows, requiring the court to decide the litigants' requests relating to seized items.
The accused's or the private right claimant's obtaining a certified copy of the ruling is important for knowing what the court decided and its grounds. A person who needs to assess his position after the ruling is best advised to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
A ruling was issued in an assault case that Saad brought on his private right before a criminal court in Riyadh. The ruling was recorded in the register of rulings and kept in the case file, and each of Saad, the accused and the public prosecutor received a certified copy of it.
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 182 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Is the accused entitled to a copy of the ruling?
Yes. The article provides that a certified copy of the ruling is handed to each of the accused, the public prosecutor, and the private right claimant if there is one.
Is every criminal ruling recorded in the register of rulings?
The rule is that it must be recorded in the register of rulings, unless the Supreme Judicial Council decides otherwise.
When is the ruling formally notified?
After it acquires finality, and it is notified to whomever the court sees fit to notify.
More articles on Criminal Judgment and Nullity of Procedures
- Article 3
The article bars imposing any criminal penalty on a person except after his conviction is proven for an act prohibited by Sharia or by law, following a trial conducted according to Sharia requirements.
لا يجوز توقيع عقوبة جزائية على أي شخص، إلا بعد ثبوت إدانته بأمر محظور شرعًا أو نظامًا بعد محاكمة تُجْرى وفقًا للمقتضى الشرعي.
- 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 8
The article requires judges to deliberate in secret before issuing the judgment, which is issued unanimously or by majority, with the minority's opinion stated and answered in the record, and limits deliberation to those who heard the pleading.
على أعضاء المحكمة أن يتداولوا الرأي سرًّا ويناقشوا الحكم قبل إصداره، وأن يبدي كل منهم رأيه في ذلك. وتصدر الأحكام بالإجماع أو الأغلبية. وعلى الأقلية أن توضح رأيه
- 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 178
Article 178 provides that if the court rules that an official paper is forged in whole or in part, it orders it canceled or corrected as the case may be, and minutes are drawn up and noted on the paper.
في حال حكم المحكمة بثبوت تزوير ورقة رسمية - كلها أو بعضها - فتأمر بإلغائها، أو تصحيحها - بحسب الأحوال - ويحرر بذلك محضر يؤشر على الورقة بمقتضاه.
- Article 179
Article 179 requires the court to base its ruling on the evidence submitted to it during the hearing of the case, and bars the judge from ruling according to his own knowledge or contrary to his knowledge.
تستند المحكمة في حكمها إلى الأدلة المقدمة إليها أثناء نظر القضية، ولا يجوز للقاضي أن يقضي بعلمه ولا بما يخالف علمه.
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.