Article 37 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 37 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الثالث: القبض على المتهم
The article limits detention and imprisonment to places designated by law, and bars admitting anyone except under a reasoned, time-limited order signed by the competent authority, or keeping him beyond that period.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز توقيف أي إنسان أو سجنه إلا في السجون أو أماكن التوقيف المخصصة لذلك نظامًا. ولا يجوز لإدارة أي سجن أو توقيف قبول أي إنسان إلا بموجب أمر مسبب ومحدد المدة وموقع عليه من السلطة المختصة، ويجب ألا تبقيه بعد المدة المحددة في هذا الأمر.
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 37 explained in plain English
This article sets safeguards relating to the place of detention or imprisonment and the order on which it is based:
- The place: no one may be detained or imprisoned except in prisons or places of detention designated for that purpose by law.
- The order: the administration of any prison or place of detention may not admit anyone except under an order that meets three conditions:
- It must be reasoned.
- It must be time-limited.
- It must be signed by the competent authority.
- The period: the prison or detention administration must not keep the person beyond the period specified in the order.
The responsibility thus falls on the prison administration itself: it is barred from admitting anyone without an order meeting the conditions, and barred from keeping anyone after the period ends. This article complements Article 36, which guarantees treating the detainee in a manner that preserves his dignity, and Article 38, which requires the competent members of the Investigation and Public Prosecution to visit prisons and places of detention and make sure there is no one imprisoned or detained unlawfully.
Anyone who believes his relative is held in a place not designated for detention, or has been kept beyond the period specified in the order, may consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
An order was issued for the detention of Fahd in Riyadh for a specified period. When that period ends without a new order being issued, the administration of the place of detention must not keep him after it. And if another person were brought to the place without a reasoned order signed by the competent authority, the administration may not admit him.
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 37 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Can a person be held in a place other than a prison or place of detention?
No. No one may be detained or imprisoned except in prisons or places of detention designated for that purpose by law.
What are the conditions of a detention order that a prison administration accepts?
The order must be reasoned, time-limited and signed by the competent authority.
Can a detainee be kept after the period specified in the order ends?
No. The prison or detention administration must not keep him beyond the period specified in the order.
More articles on Rights of the Accused
- Article 2
The article bars arresting, searching, detaining or imprisoning any person except in the cases provided by law, and prohibits harming, torturing or degrading an arrested person.
لا يجوز القبض على أي إنسان، أو تفتيشه، أو توقيفه، أو سجنه، إلا في الأحوال المنصوص عليها نظامًا، ولا يكون التوقيف أو السجن إلا في الأماكن المخصصة لكل منهما وللمد
- 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 4
The article gives every accused the right to engage an agent or lawyer to defend him in the investigation and trial stages, and refers to the Law's regulations to state the accused's rights he must be informed of.
1 - يحق لكل متهم أن يستعين بوكيل أو محام للدفاع عنه في مرحلتي التحقيق والمحاكمة. 2 - تبين لوائح هذا النظام حقوق المتهم الواجب التعريف بها.
- Article 33
The article allows the judicial police officer, in a flagrant crime, to arrest an accused person who is present where there is sufficient evidence, and bars keeping him detained for more than 24 hours except by written order of the investigator.
لرجل الضبط الجنائي في حال التلبس بالجريمة القبض على المتهم الحاضر الذي توجد دلائل كافية على اتهامه؛ على أن يحرِّر محضرًا بذلك، وأن يبادر بإبلاغ هيئة التحقيق وال
- Article 35
The article provides that, outside flagrant crimes, no one may be arrested or detained except by order of the competent authority.
في غير حالات التلبس بالجريمة، لا يجوز القبض على أي إنسان أو توقيفه إلا بأمر من السلطة المختصة بذلك.
- Article 36
The article guarantees the detainee dignified treatment, no harm, knowledge of the reasons for detention and contact with whom he wishes, and sets rules for detained employees and women.
1 - يجب أن يعامل الموقوف بما يحفظ كرامته ولا يجوز إيذاؤه جسديًا أو معنويًا ويجب إخباره بأسباب توقيفه ويكون له الحق في الاتصال بمن يرى إبلاغه. 2 - يجب إبلاغ مرجع
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.