Article 216 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 216 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب التاسع: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ
The article requires the court president to send an enforceable criminal judgment to the administrative governor, who must take the steps to execute it immediately.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يرسل رئيس المحكمة الحكم الجزائي الواجب التنفيذ الصادر من المحكمة إلى الحاكم الإداري لاتخاذ إجراءات تنفيذه. وعلى الحاكم الإداري اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لتنفيذ الحكم فورًا.
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 216 explained in plain English
This article identifies the authority that carries out criminal judgments once issued, and regulates it in two stages:
- The court's role: The president of the court sends the criminal judgment issued by the court that is enforceable to the administrative governor, so that the steps to execute it are taken.
- The administrative governor's role: He must take the necessary steps to execute the judgment immediately.
The court issues the judgment, but its execution is through the administrative governor, whom the text obliges to execute immediately and without delay. An enforceable judgment means a judgment for which the conditions of execution have been completed as the Law requires.
The article is connected with those around it:
- Article 215 requires that, when imprisonment is carried out, the period of detention the convicted person spent because of the same case be counted, and gives anyone harmed by a malicious accusation or prolonged imprisonment or detention the right to claim compensation.
- Article 217 requires an order from the King or his delegate for executing judgments of death, amputation, stoning and retaliation, and specifies who attends the execution of certain judgments.
Anyone with a question about the execution stage of a criminal judgment in his case would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
A criminal judgment was issued against an accused in Qassim and became enforceable. The court president sends the judgment to the administrative governor, who must take the steps to execute it immediately.
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 216 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Who carries out a criminal judgment?
The court president sends the enforceable criminal judgment to the administrative governor, who takes the necessary steps to execute it.
Can execution be delayed after the judgment is sent to the administrative governor?
The article obliges the administrative governor to take the necessary steps to execute the judgment immediately.
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 212
The article provides that criminal judgments may not be executed until they become final.
الأحكام الجزائية لا يجوز تنفيذها إلا إذا أصبحت نهائية.
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.