Article 201 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 201 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثاني: النقض
The article requires the Supreme Court to examine the formal requirements of a cassation objection and whether the objector is entitled to file it, then decide to accept or reject it as to form, except in cases of homicide, stoning, amputation and retaliation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
باستثناء قضايا القتل، أو الرجم، أو القطع، أو القصاص في النفس أو فيما دونها، تنظر المحكمة العليا الشروط الشكلية في الاعتراض، المتعلقة بالبيانات المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (1) من المادة (المائتين) من هذا النظام، وما إذا كان صادرًا ممن له حق طلب النقض، ثم تقرر قبول الاعتراض أو عدم قبوله شكلًا. فإذا كان الاعتراض غير مقبول من حيث الشكل، فتصدر قرارًا مستقلًا بذلك.
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 201 explained in plain English
This article governs the formal stage of the Supreme Court's review of an objection by cassation, that is, what comes before it looks at the merits:
- What the court examines:
- The formal requirements relating to the particulars stated in paragraph 1 of Article 200, namely: the names of the parties and the address of each, the judgment objected to with its number and date, the grounds, the objector's requests and signature, and the date the memorandum was lodged.
- Whether the objection was filed by a person entitled to seek cassation.
- The decision: The court decides to accept or reject the objection as to form. If it is inadmissible as to form, the court issues a separate decision to that effect.
- The exception: This formal examination does not apply to cases of homicide, stoning, amputation, or retaliation (qisas) for a life or for lesser injuries.
It follows that completing the particulars of the cassation memorandum is not a minor matter; missing particulars may end in a decision of inadmissibility as to form without the merits ever being reached. The article itself does not say how the excepted cases are treated at this stage; it only takes them out of this examination.
If the objection is accepted as to form, the court moves on to what Article 202 regulates: it decides the merits of the objection on the papers in the file, without examining the facts of the case, and then upholds the judgment or sets it aside in whole or in part.
Anyone preparing an objection by cassation is best advised to use a lawyer specialized in criminal cases to make sure the formal requirements are met.
Practical example
A person in Riyadh lodged a cassation memorandum that did not state the number and date of the judgment objected to. When the Supreme Court examines the formal requirements, it may decide that the objection is inadmissible as to form and issue a separate decision to that effect.
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 201 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
What does it mean when an objection is rejected as to form?
It means that, after examining the particulars stated in paragraph 1 of Article 200 and whether the objection was filed by a person entitled to do so, the Supreme Court decides that it is inadmissible as to form and issues a separate decision to that effect.
Does the Supreme Court examine the form in retaliation cases?
No. The article excludes cases of homicide, stoning, amputation and retaliation (qisas) for a life or for lesser injuries from this formal examination.
What happens if the objection is accepted as to form?
The Supreme Court moves on to decide the merits of the objection under Article 202.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Objecting to Criminal Judgments
- Article 9
The article provides that criminal judgments are open to objection under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law.
تكون الأحكام الجزائية قابلة للاعتراض عليها وفقًا للأحكام المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام.
- Article 10
The article provides that judgments issued by the court of appeal, or upheld by it, for death, stoning, amputation or qisas (retaliation) are not final until upheld by the Supreme Court.
الأحكام الصادرة من محكمة الاستئناف أو المؤيدة منها بالقتل، أو الرجم، أو القطع، أو القصاص في النفس أو فيما دونها، لا تكون نهائية إلا بعد تأييدها من المحكمة العلي
- Article 11
The article provides that if the Supreme Court does not uphold a judgment presented to it under Article 10, it sets it aside and returns the case to the court of first instance to rule on it anew by judges other than those who heard it.
إذا لم تؤيد المحكمة العليا الحكم المعروض عليها ـ تطبيقًا للمادة (العاشرة) من هذا النظام ـ فتنقض الحكم، وتعيد القضية إلى محكمة الدرجة الأولى لتحكم فيها من جديد م
- Article 192
Article 192 gives the convicted person, the public prosecutor and the private right claimant the right to request appeal or review of first-instance rulings, and requires the court to inform them of this right when pronouncing the ruling.
1 - للمحكوم عليه وللمدعي العام وللمدعي بالحق الخاص؛ طلب استئناف أو تدقيق الأحكام الصادرة من محاكم الدرجة الأولى خلال المدة المقررة نظامًا. وعلى المحكمة التي تصد
- Article 193
Article 193 sets an appointment of at most ten days after the ruling is pronounced to receive a copy of the judgment deed, makes depositing it in the file, if the parties do not attend, the start of the objection period, and regulates handing it to a prisoner or detainee.
تحدد المحكمة بعد النطق بالحكم موعدًا أقصاه عشرة أيام لتسلم صورة صك الحكم، مع إثبات ذلك في ضبط القضية وأخذ توقيع الخصوم. فإن لم يحضر أيّ منهم لتسلم صورة صك الحكم
- Article 194
Article 194 sets the objection period for requesting appeal or review at thirty days, after which the right lapses, and requires that rulings of death, stoning, amputation and retaliation be submitted to the court of appeal even if no one requests it.
مدة الاعتراض بطلب الاستئناف أو التدقيق ثلاثون يومًا. فإذا لم يقدم المعترض اعتراضه خلال هذه المدة سقط حقه في طلب الاستئناف أو التدقيق. وإذا كان الحكم صادرًا بالق
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.