Article 212 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 212 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب التاسع: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ
The article provides that criminal judgments may not be executed until they become final.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
الأحكام الجزائية لا يجوز تنفيذها إلا إذا أصبحت نهائية.
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 212 explained in plain English
This article lays down a clear, short rule: a criminal judgment is not executed unless it has become final. The issuance of a judgment by the court is not enough by itself to carry out the penalty; the judgment must reach the stage of finality as the Law provides.
The reason is that, before it becomes final, a judgment remains open to review by objection. If the penalty were carried out immediately and the judgment then changed after the objection, the effect of execution could often not be undone. The Law therefore ties execution to the finality of the judgment.
This article is connected with the articles next to it:
- Article 211 bars hearing a criminal case again after a judgment on its merits except by objecting to the judgment as the Law provides; objection is the route by which a judgment is reviewed before it becomes final.
- Article 213 requires the immediate release of a detained accused if the judgment is one of non-conviction, or imposes a penalty whose execution does not require imprisonment, or if he has already served the penalty imposed during his detention.
Anyone against whom a criminal judgment has been issued and who wants to know whether it has become final and enforceable would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
A criminal court in Dammam sentenced Fahad to prison, and he objected to the judgment within the legal period. Under this article the judgment is not executed as long as it has not yet become final, and its execution does not begin until it does.
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 212 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Is a criminal judgment executed as soon as it is issued?
No. The article provides that criminal judgments may not be executed unless they have become final.
What happens to a detained person if he is acquitted?
Article 213 provides for his immediate release if the judgment is one of non-conviction.
More articles on Enforcing Criminal Judgments
- 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 14
The article requires all officers of public authority to carry out the orders of judicial bodies issued under the Law, and allows them to use the appropriate means to carry them out.
على جميع رجال السلطة العامة أن ينفذوا أوامر الجهات القضائية الصادرة طبقًا لهذا النظام، ولهم أن يستعملوا الوسيلة المناسبة لتنفيذها.
- Article 204
The article lets any party request reconsideration of final judgments imposing a penalty in five defined cases, including the alleged murder victim appearing alive, forged evidence, or new evidence coming to light.
يحق لأي من الخصوم أن يطلب إعادة النظر في الأحكام النهائية الصادرة بالعقوبة في الأحوال الآتية: 1 - إذا حكم على المتهم في جريمة قتل ثم وُجِد المُدَّعَى قتله حيًّا
- Article 206
The article provides that acceptance of a reconsideration request does not stay execution of the judgment unless it imposes a corporal penalty of retaliation, a fixed penalty or a discretionary penalty, and otherwise allows the court to order a stay.
لا يترتب على قبول المحكمة طلب إعادة النظر وقف تنفيذ الحكم إلا إذا كان صادرًا بعقوبة جسدية من قصاص أو حد أو تعزير، وفي غير ذلك يجوز للمحكمة أن تأمر بوقف التنفيذ
- Article 210
The article defines final judgments as those that acquire finality by not being objected to within the legal period or by being upheld by, or issued by, the Supreme Court, subject to Articles 194 and 199.
الأحكام النهائية هي الأحكام المكتسبة للقطعية؛ إما بعدم الاعتراض عليها خلال المدة المحددة نظامًا، أو بتأييد الحكم من المحكمة العليا أو صدوره منها، وذلك مع عدم ال
- Article 213
The article requires the immediate release of a detained accused if he is found not guilty, sentenced to a penalty that does not require imprisonment, or has served the penalty during his detention.
يُفْرَجُ في الحال عن المتهم الموقوف إذا كان الحكم صادرًا بعدم الإدانة، أو بعقوبة لا يقتضي تنفيذها السجن، أو إذا كان المتهم قد قضى مدة العقوبة المحكوم بها أثناء
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.