Article 65 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 65 من نظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الفصل الأول: تصرفات المحقق
The accused may use an agent or lawyer to attend the investigation; investigation is required in all major crimes, and for other crimes the investigator may investigate or bring the case directly to court.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمتهم حق الاستعانة بوكيل أو محام لحضور التحقيق. ويجب على المحقق أن يقوم بالتحقيق في جميع الجرائم الكبيرة وفقًا لما هو منصوص عليه في هذا النظام. وله في غير هذه الجرائم أن يقوم بالتحقيق فيها إذا وجد أن ظروفها أو أهميتها تستلزم ذلك، أو أن يرفع الدعوى بتكليف المتهم بالحضور مباشرة أمام المحكمة المختصة.
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 65 explained in plain English
This article addresses two matters: the accused's right to have someone represent him, and when investigation is mandatory and when it is discretionary.
First: the accused's right: the accused may use an agent or lawyer to attend the investigation.
Second: major crimes: the investigator must investigate all major crimes as the Law provides. The article itself does not specify what counts as a major crime.
Third: other crimes: in crimes other than major crimes, the investigator has two options:
- To investigate them if he finds that their circumstances or importance require it.
- Or to bring the case by directly summoning the accused to appear before the competent court.
Investigation is thus mandatory in major crimes, and subject to the investigator's assessment in others according to the circumstances and importance of the crime.
The article is linked to Article 64, which requires the investigator to notify the victim and the private claimant if an archiving order is issued, and to Article 66, which allows the investigator to delegate in writing one of the judicial police officers to carry out one or more investigation procedures, except interrogating the accused. Anyone summoned for investigation would do well to use a lawyer specialized in criminal cases to attend the investigation with him.
Practical example
Abdullah was summoned in Riyadh for investigation in a case, so he brought his lawyer to attend the investigation with him, a right the article establishes for him. In another case, not considered a major crime, the investigator may see that its circumstances do not require investigation, and so bring the case by directly summoning the accused to appear before the competent court.
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 65 of the Saudi Criminal Procedure Law
Do I have the right to bring a lawyer during the investigation?
Yes. The accused has the right to use an agent or lawyer to attend the investigation.
Is investigation mandatory in every crime?
The investigator must investigate all major crimes; for others, he may investigate them if their circumstances or importance require it, or bring the case directly to the competent court.
Can a case be referred to court without investigation?
In crimes other than major crimes, the investigator may bring the case by directly summoning the accused to appear before the competent court.
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.