Article 12 of the Saudi Employee Discipline Law
المادة 12 من نظام الانضباط الوظيفي
The article sets the cases in which employee violations are referred to the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, which files the claim before the competent court, and that court may impose any penalty provided for in the Law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ- مع مراعاة اختصاصات الهيئة -المقررة نظامًا- يحال إليها الآتي:
1- الموظف الذي نسب إليه ارتكاب مخالفة في جهة حكومية غير التي يعمل فيها، أو الذي نقل منها بعد ارتكابه لتلك المخالفة إلى جهة أخرى.
2- الموظفون الذين يتبعون أكثر من جهة حكومية، المنسوب إليهم ارتكاب مخالفة أو مخالفات مرتبط بعضها ببعض.
3- الموظف الذي انتهت خدماته قبل الانتهاء من التحقيق معه، أو قبل البدء في اتخاذ الإجراءات الإدارية ضده.
4- الموظف الذي يرتكب مخالفة أثناء عمله، ثم يتغير مركزه الوظيفي بانتقاله للعمل على نظام وظيفي آخر.
5- الموظف الذي يحيله الوزير وفق الفقرة (4) من المادة (العاشرة) من النظام.
وإذا رأت الهيئة توافر أدلة كافية لثبوت المخالفة -في أي من الفقرات السابقة- فترفع دعوى أمام المحكمة المختصة، مع إبلاغ الجهة الحكومية التي يتبعها الموظف بذلك.
6- طلبات الفصل لموظفي المرتبتين (الرابعة عشرة) و(الخامسة عشرة) أو ما يعادلهما وفقًا للمادة (الحادية عشرة) من النظام.
وتقوم الهيئة في حال ثبوت المخالفة ورأت إيقاع جزاء الفصل؛ برفع الدعوى أمام المحكمة المختصة، مع إبلاغ الجهة الحكومية التي يتبعها الموظف بذلك.
ب- للمحكمة المختصة إيقاع أي من الجزاءات المنصوص عليها في النظام في الدعاوى التي ترفعها إليها الهيئة.
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 12 explained in plain English
This article sets out when the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority has jurisdiction over employee violations, subject to the Authority's powers established by law. The following are referred to it:
- An employee attributed with a violation in a government body other than his own, or who was transferred from it after the violation to another body.
- Employees who belong to more than one government body and are attributed with a violation or violations connected with one another.
- An employee whose service has ended before the investigation of him is completed or before the administrative proceedings against him begin.
- An employee who commits a violation and then his job status changes by moving to another employment regime.
- An employee whom the Minister refers under paragraph 4 of Article 10, which allows the Minister, for any reason he determines, to refer any employee to the Authority.
In these five cases, if the Authority finds sufficient evidence that the violation is established, it files a claim before the competent court and notifies the government body to which the employee belongs.
6- Requests for dismissal of employees at grades 14 and 15 or their equivalents under Article 11, which requires the Minister to refer the violation to the Authority if the committee recommends dismissing them. In this case, if the violation is established and the Authority sees dismissal as appropriate, it files the claim before the competent court and notifies the employee's body.
Power of the court: The competent court may impose any penalty of those provided for in the Law in the claims the Authority files.
Anyone referred to the Authority or against whom a claim has been filed is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.
Practical example
Fahd committed a violation while working in a government body in Riyadh, and was then transferred to another government body in Jeddah before the violation was discovered. His case is referred to the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority under paragraph 1 of Article 12, and if the Authority finds the evidence sufficient it files a claim before the competent court and notifies the body to which he currently belongs.
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 12 of the Saudi Employee Discipline Law
When is an employee referred to the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority?
In cases including: a violation in a body other than his own or his transfer after it, employees belonging to more than one body, the end of service before the investigation, a change of job status, a referral by the Minister, and requests to dismiss employees at grades 14 and 15.
Is an employee held accountable if his service ended before he was investigated?
Yes. The article provides that an employee whose service has ended before the investigation of him is completed or before the administrative proceedings against him begin is referred to the Authority.
What penalty does the court impose in the Authority's claims?
The competent court may impose any of the penalties provided for in the Law in the claims the Authority files with it.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 10
The article regulates referring the employee to the committee and the Minister's approval of its recommendations, considering dismissal in a special committee, proportionality and non-duplication of penalties, and the Minister's right to refer to the Authority.
مع مراعاة ما نصت عليه كلٌّ من المادتين (الحادية عشرة) و(الثانية عشرة) من النظام: 1- إذا ظهر للجهة ارتكاب موظف لمخالفة، فيحال إلى اللجنة للتحقيق معه للنظر في إيق
- Article 11
The article provides that a recommendation to dismiss an employee at grade 14 or 15 or their equivalents is referred to the Authority, which considers the dismissal before the competent court or returns it to the body with a proposal for another penalty.
إذا أوصت اللجنة بإيقاع جزاء الفصل على من يشغل أيًّا من المرتبتين (الرابعة عشرة) و(الخامسة عشرة) أو ما يعادلهما؛ فيحيل الوزير المخالفة المرتكبة من الموظف إلى اله
More articles on Referral to the Anti-Corruption Authority
- Article 11
The article provides that a recommendation to dismiss an employee at grade 14 or 15 or their equivalents is referred to the Authority, which considers the dismissal before the competent court or returns it to the body with a proposal for another penalty.
إذا أوصت اللجنة بإيقاع جزاء الفصل على من يشغل أيًّا من المرتبتين (الرابعة عشرة) و(الخامسة عشرة) أو ما يعادلهما؛ فيحيل الوزير المخالفة المرتكبة من الموظف إلى اله
- Article 13
The article requires the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority to give the Ministry of Human Resources and the employee's body, if he is still a government employee, a copy of the final judgment issued against him.
تزود الهيئة وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية والجهة الحكومية التي يتبع لها الموظف -إن كان لا يزال موظفًا حكوميًّا- بصورة من الحكم النهائي الصادر بحقه.
- Article 15
The article allows the Authority, in the cases it considers, to close the investigation or propose a penalty specifying the acts attributed, and to refer the file to the employee's body to issue the penalty decision as it sees fit.
للهيئة -في الحالات التي تنظرها- أن تحفظ التحقيق، أو أن تقترح الجزاء المناسب على الموظف، مع بيان الأفعال المنسوبة إليه على وجه التحديد، وتحيل المعاملة إلى جهته ا
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.