Article 17 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 17 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
The article applies the harsher penalty if any of the acts prohibited in Article 15 constitutes a crime under other laws.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا شكل أي من الأفعال الواردة في المادة (الخامسة عشرة) من النظام؛ جريمة بموجب أنظمة أخرى؛ فتطبق العقوبة الأشد.
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 17 explained in plain English
A single act may fall under more than one law. For example, dealing with an elderly person's property or mismanaging it may breach this Law and at the same time be a crime under another law. This article settles the overlap with a clear rule: the harsher penalty applies.
The acts meant are those prohibited in Article 15:
- The caregiver dealing with the elderly person's property without their consent.
- The caregiver intentionally failing to protect the rights and care of the needy elderly person.
- Intentional mismanagement of the elderly person's property by anyone entrusted with authority to deal with it.
The penalty set in this Law appears in Article 16: one or more of imprisonment for up to one year and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, with doubling possible in case of repeat offense up to twice the maximum, and paragraph 1 not applying if the caregiver is the father or the wife.
The meaning of Article 17 is that the penalty in Article 16 is not necessarily the final ceiling; if the penalty under the other law is harsher, it applies. Note that the article mentions only the acts of Article 15, not Article 3. The article does not specify which other laws are meant or deal with multiple offenses, so that depends on the facts of the case. It is followed by Article 18, which allows the competent court to impose an alternative penalty of service to the elderly. Anyone who needs an assessment of a particular case should consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A person entrusted with managing the funds of an elderly relative in Madinah took part of them in bad faith. This is intentional mismanagement prohibited in Article 15; if the same act also constitutes a crime under another law with a penalty harsher than that of Article 16, the harsher penalty applies.
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 17 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
What if the act is also a crime under another law?
If any of the acts in Article 15 constitutes a crime under other laws, the harsher penalty applies.
Which acts does this article cover?
The acts prohibited in Article 15: the caregiver dealing with the elderly person's property without their consent, intentionally failing to protect their rights and care, and intentional mismanagement of their property by anyone entrusted with authority to deal with it.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Penalty for Mistreating the Elderly
- Article 15
The article prohibits the caregiver from dealing with the elderly person's property without their consent or intentionally failing to protect their rights and care, and prohibits anyone entrusted with authority over their property from intentionally mismanaging it.
1- يحظر على العائل التصرف في مال كبير السن دون موافقته. 2- يحظر على العائل الإخلال عمدًا بحماية حقوق كبير السن المحتاج ورعايته. 3- يحظر إساءة التصرف عمدًا في ما
- Article 16
The article punishes breach of Articles 3 and 15 with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to SAR 500,000 or both, excludes the caregiver if the father or wife, and allows doubling for repeat offense.
1- يعاقب من يخل بأيٍّ من أحكام المادتين (الثالثة) و(الخامسة عشرة) من النظام، بعقوبة أو أكثر من العقوبات الآتية: أ- السجن مدة لا تزيد على سنة. ب- غرامة لا تزيد ع
- Article 18
The article allows the competent court to impose an alternative penalty to those in Article 16, provided that it is in service of the elderly.
للمحكمة المختصة أن تحكم بعقوبة بديلة عن العقوبات الواردة في المادة (السادسة عشرة) من النظام على أن تكون في خدمة كبار السن.
- Article 19
The article assigns the Public Prosecution to investigate violations of Articles 3 and 15 of the Law and to bring the case before the competent court.
تتولى النيابة العامة التحقيق في المخالفات الواردة في المادتين (الثالثة) و(الخامسة عشرة) من النظام، وإقامة الدعوى أمام المحكمة المختصة.
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.