Article 183 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 183 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثامن: الحكم
Article 183 requires the court ruling on the subject to decide the litigants' requests about seized items, and permits it to refer the dispute to the competent court and to dispose of them during the case.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على المحكمة التي تصدر حكمًا في الموضوع أن تفصل في طلبات الخصوم المتعلقة بالأشياء المضبوطة. ولها أن تحيل النزاع في شأنها إلى المحكمة المختصة إذا وجدت ضرورة لذلك. ويجوز للمحكمة أن تصدر حكمًا بالتصرف في المضبوطات أثناء نظر الدعوى.
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 183 explained in plain English
Items such as money, devices or vehicles are often seized in criminal cases. This article defines the criminal court's role in dealing with them:
- Deciding the requests is mandatory: the court issuing a ruling on the subject of the case must decide the litigants' requests relating to seized items, and may not leave these requests undecided.
- Referring the dispute: the court may refer the dispute over the seized items to the competent court if it finds a need for that.
- Disposal while the case is pending: the court may issue a ruling to dispose of the seized items before the case ends, that is, while it is being heard.
Article 184 places a restriction on the execution of this type of ruling: a ruling to dispose of seized items may not be executed if the ruling in the case is not final, unless the items are perishable or keeping them requires large expenses. It also permits the court, if it rules to hand the items to a particular person, to hand them over immediately while taking an undertaking from him, with or without a guarantee, to return them if the ruling is quashed.
The preceding Article 182 refers to recording the ruling and handing copies to the parties, from which the person making the request learns what the court decided about the seized items. A person whose property was seized in a case is best advised to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases to submit his request.
Practical example
Abdullah's car was seized in a theft case in Dammam in which another person was accused. Abdullah submitted a request to the court demanding the return of his car, so when issuing its ruling on the subject, the court must decide his request, or refer the dispute over the car to the competent court if it finds a need for that.
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 183 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Must the criminal court decide a request to recover seized items?
Yes. The court that issues a ruling on the subject must decide the litigants' requests relating to seized items.
Can the dispute over seized items be referred to another court?
Yes. The court may refer the dispute over them to the competent court if it finds a need for that.
Can seized items be disposed of before the case ends?
The court may issue a ruling to dispose of them while the case is being heard, subject to the execution restrictions in Article 184.
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.