Article 15 of the Saudi Enforcement Law before the Board of Grievances
المادة 15 من نظام التنفيذ أمام ديوان المظالم · الفصل الثاني: التنفيذ ضد الجهات الإدارية
The article provides that requesting guidance on how to enforce, and ruling on the request, do not suspend the procedures or time limits set out in the Law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يترتب على طلب الإرشاد والبت فيه وقف الإجراءات والمهل المنصوص عليها في النظام.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article is short but important for protecting the right-holder. It complements Article 14, which allows the administrative body, before the enforcement order in Article 12 is issued, to ask the Enforcement Circuit to guide it on how to enforce, and the Circuit then issues, where appropriate, an order setting out the procedures that enforcement requires.
The rule here is that requesting guidance and ruling on the request do not result in suspending:
- the procedures set out in the Law;
- the time limits set out in the Law.
The practical meaning is that the administrative body cannot use a request for guidance as a way to buy time or hold up enforcement. The time limit granted to it stays in force while it waits for guidance, and the procedures carry on.
Note that this article appears in Chapter Two on enforcement against administrative bodies. It is followed by Article 16, which begins the provisions on enforcement in favor of the administrative body, where the Circuit orders the party against whom enforcement is sought to enforce within a period not exceeding 30 days from being notified.
If you have a specific situation, it is best to consult a lawyer specialized in administrative and enforcement cases before the Board of Grievances.
Practical example
A government body was notified to enforce a judgment within 30 days, and ten days later it asked for guidance on how to enforce. The request does not stop the time limit from running, so the limit expires on its original date even if the request for guidance has not yet been ruled on.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
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Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
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Frequently asked questions about Article 15 of the Saudi Enforcement Law before the Board of Grievances
Does a request for guidance suspend the time limit for enforcing a judgment?
No. Requesting guidance and ruling on the request do not suspend the procedures and time limits set out in the Law.
What is meant by a request for guidance?
It is the administrative body's request to the Enforcement Circuit, before the enforcement order is issued, to guide it on how to enforce under Article 14.
Do enforcement procedures stop while the request for guidance is being considered?
No. The procedures and time limits continue without suspension.
More articles on Enforcement Against Administrative Bodies
- Article 10
The article requires the enforcement circuit to warn the administrative authority immediately on referral to enforce within five days for urgent judgments and thirty days otherwise, with the option of notifying the oversight body.
تصدر دائرة التنفيذ -فور إحالة الطلب إليها- إنذاراً للجهة الإدارية للتنفيذ خلال مهلة لا تتجاوز (خمسة) أيام في الأحكام العاجلة، و(ثلاثين) يوماً فيما عداها، وذلك م
- Article 11
The article gives the enforcement circuit authority to order administrative authorities to take the measures necessary for enforcement, including access to budgets, posts, procedures and any document, and requires them to comply within the periods set.
لدائرة التنفيذ أن تأمر الجهات الإدارية بالتدابير اللازمة للتنفيذ، بما في ذلك اطلاعها على الميزانيات والوظائف والإجراءات وأي مستند ترى ضرورة الاطلاع عليه، وعلى ا
- Article 12
The article requires an enforcement order to the administrative authority if the Article 10 period ends without enforcement or the authority states refusal, specifying the necessary procedures and notifying the competent body for criminal proceedings.
تصدر دائرة التنفيذ أمراً بالتنفيذ إلى الجهة الإدارية إذا انتهت المهلة المنصوص عليها في المادة (العاشرة) دون أن يتم التنفيذ، أو إذا صرحت خلالها الجهة بما يفيد رف
- Article 13
The article allows the enforcement circuit to send the enforcement warning to the Ministry of Finance and apply the Law's procedures against it, where the authority obliged to pay a sum of money completed its procedures and the delay is due to the Ministry.
إذا تبين لدائرة التنفيذ أن الجهة الإدارية -الملزمة بأداء مبلغ مالي أو ما يؤول إليه- قد استوفت ما تختص به من الإجراءات اللازمة للتنفيذ، دون أن يتم ذلك بسبب يعود
- Article 14
The article allows the administrative body, before the enforcement order in Article 12 is issued, to ask the Enforcement Circuit to guide it on how to enforce, and the Circuit issues an order setting out the procedures where appropriate.
للجهة الإدارية -قبل صدور الأمر المنصوص عليه في المادة (الثانية عشرة) من النظام- أن تطلب من دائرة التنفيذ إرشادها إلى كيفية التنفيذ، وتصدر دائرة التنفيذ -عند الا
- Article 29
The article allows the Enforcement Circuit to rule that enforcement of an instrument has become impossible for any reason, and provides that lack of appropriations or posts in the administrative body's budget is not impossibility.
إذا تبين لدائرة التنفيذ أن تنفيذ السند أصبح متعذرًا لأي سبب فإنها تحكم بإثبات ذلك، ولا يعد من حالات تعذر التنفيذ عدم توفر الاعتمادات أو الوظائف في ميزانية الجهة
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.