Article 19 of the Saudi Emergency Law
المادة 19 من نظام الطوارئ · الفصل التاسع: واجبات وصلاحيات القائمين على تنفيذ أوامر الطوارئ، وحدود مسؤولياتهم
The article requires those tasked with carrying out emergency orders to take the necessary steps for the safety, security and property of individuals, to reduce the negative impact of measures, and to treat individuals fairly.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على المكلّفين بتنفيذ أوامر الطوارئ اتخاذ كافة الإجراءات اللازمة للتأكد من سلامة الأفراد وأمنهم وسلامة ممتلكاتهم والتخفيف من الأثر السلبي الناشئ عن أي إجراءٍ يُتخذ بموجب أحكام النظام أو أوامر الطوارئ، والتعامل مع الأفراد بالعدل.
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 19 explained in plain English
This article sets safeguards for individuals against exceptional measures, by imposing three duties on those tasked with carrying out emergency orders:
- Safety and security: taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of individuals and the safety of their property.
- Reducing the negative impact: reducing the negative impact arising from any measure taken under the provisions of the Law or the emergency orders. Even a lawful measure should be carried out with the least possible harm.
- Fairness: treating individuals fairly.
Those tasked with carrying out are the public bodies and their personnel whom the emergency order identifies under Article 18, which requires emergency orders to specify the bodies tasked with carrying them out and those who hold judicial police status.
The importance of this article is that, under Article 12, emergency orders contain necessary temporary measures that have the force of law and may affect people's lives and property. This article ensures that carrying them out does not come at the expense of individuals' safety or in an unfair manner.
These duties are linked to Article 20, which exempts personnel of the public bodies tasked with carrying out from civil and criminal liability on condition that they comply with the provisions of the Law, the emergency orders, and the regulations and rules in force. The obligations in this article are among the provisions of the Law itself.
Anyone who believes that a measure taken against them while an emergency order was being carried out compromised their safety or property, or did not treat them fairly, can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
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 19 of the Saudi Emergency Law
What are the duties of the bodies carrying out emergency orders toward individuals?
To take the necessary steps for the safety, security and property of individuals, to reduce the negative impact of any measure, and to treat them fairly.
Must the harm from lawful emergency measures be reduced?
Yes. The article requires reducing the negative impact arising from any measure taken under the Law or the emergency orders.
More articles on Emergency Orders, Publication and Enforcement
- Article 12
This article allows royal orders called “emergency orders” to be issued while a state of emergency is declared, containing necessary temporary measures that have the force of laws, to reduce risks, respond to the emergency event and recover from it.
تصدر - عند الاقتضاء - أوامر ملكية باسم (أوامر طوارئ) أثناء إعلان حالة الطوارئ، تتضمن ما يلزم من تدابير وإجراءات ضرورية مؤقتة لها قوة الأنظمة التي تصدر عن السلطة
- Article 13
This article requires the royal order declaring a state of emergency and emergency orders to be published through official media and the Official Gazette, allows publication by any means, and exempts orders stated to be classified.
1- يُنشر الأمر الملكي الصادر بإعلان حالة الطوارئ وأوامر الطوارئ من خلال أي من وسائل الإعلام الرسمية، بالإضافة إلى نشره في الجريدة الرسمية. ويجوز وفقًا لمقتضيات
- Article 14
This article makes emergency orders effective from their date of issue unless they set another date, and they end on their stated dates or when the state of emergency ends or is terminated, whichever is earlier.
تكون أوامر الطوارئ نافذة من تاريخ صدورها؛ ما لم يُنص فيها على تاريخ آخر، وينتهي العمل بها في التواريخ المحددة فيها، أو بانتهاء أو إنهاء حالة الطوارئ وفقًا لأحكا
- Article 18
The article requires emergency orders to specify the public bodies tasked with carrying them out and which of those bodies' personnel have judicial police powers.
تُحدَّد في أوامر الطوارئ الجهات العامة المكلَّفة بتنفيذ تلك الأوامر، ويُحدَّد فيها من لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي من منسوبي تلك الجهات.
- Article 31
The article makes powers conferred or delegated under the Law or emergency orders additional to any other powers conferred by any other law or regulation in force, unless the emergency order provides otherwise.
تُعد الصلاحيات المخولة أو المفوضة لأي شخص بموجب النظام أو أوامر الطوارئ مضافة لأي صلاحية أخرى مخولة إليه بموجب أي نظام أو لائحة أخرى معمول بها، ما لم يُنص على غ
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.