Article 42 of the Saudi Environment Law
المادة 42 من نظام البيئة · الفصل الثامن: المخالفات وضبطها وإيقاع العقوبات
The Public Prosecution, in accordance with its law, investigates the violations referred to in Article 40 and prosecutes them before the competent court.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى النيابة العامة -وفقاً لنظامها- التحقيق في المخالفات المشار إليها في المادة (الأربعين) من النظام؛ والادعاء 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 42 explained in plain English
This Article identifies the investigating and prosecuting authority for the most serious violations of the Environment Law: the Public Prosecution.
This jurisdiction is limited to the violations referred to in Article 40, which are:
- Committing any of the acts in Article 35.
- Repeating the cutting of trees and plants and the like, or killing live wild animals in violation of Article 26, for the second time or more within a year of the previous time.
Under Article 40, the penalty for these violations is imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine of up to SAR 30,000,000, or either.
The Public Prosecution has two roles:
- Investigating these violations.
- Prosecuting before the competent court.
It does so in accordance with its law, that is, according to the procedures set by its own law, not new procedures created by the Environment Law.
After prosecution, the competent court hears the case under Article 41, and may impose the penalties in Article 40, rule for confiscation, hold a suspected vessel for no more than 90 days, impose daily fines, double fines on repetition, and order publication of the judgment. The path for these violations is therefore criminal: detection, then investigation and prosecution by the Public Prosecution, then judgment by the competent court. If you have been summoned for investigation over one of these violations, you may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental and criminal matters.
Practical example
A person was caught cutting wild trees for the second time within a year of being caught the first time. Because this repetition is among the violations referred to in Article 40, the Public Prosecution investigates it and then brings the case before the competent court to impose the penalty.
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 42 of the Saudi Environment Law
Who investigates environmental crimes in Saudi Arabia?
The Public Prosecution, in accordance with its law, investigates the violations referred to in Article 40 of the Environment Law and prosecutes before the competent court.
Does the Public Prosecution investigate all environmental violations?
The text limits its jurisdiction here to the violations referred to in Article 40.
Where is the case heard after the investigation?
The Public Prosecution prosecutes before the competent court, which under Article 41 considers these violations and imposes their penalties.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Environmental Crimes and Imprisonment
- Article 35
The Article lists four acts that are violations of the Law: dumping untreated wastewater, ship discharges of pollutants, disposal of hazardous waste, and trading in, killing or hunting endangered wildlife.
يعد من المخالفات لأحكام النظام القيام بأي من الأفعال الآتية: 1- إلقاء مياه الصرف أو أي مكونات سائلة -غير معالجة- أو تصريفها، أو حقنها؛ في الآبار الجوفية، أو في
- Article 40
Imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine of up to SAR 30 million, or either, for committing the acts in Article 35, or for repeating within a year the cutting of plants or killing of live wild animals.
دون إخلال بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر، يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على عشر سنوات وبغرامة لا تزيد على (30.000.000) ثلاثين مليون ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛
- Article 41
The competent court considers the violations in Article 40 and imposes their penalties, and may confiscate seized items, hold a vessel for up to 90 days, impose daily fines, double fines on repetition and order publication of the judgment.
دون إخلال بما ورد في المادة (الثالثة والأربعين) من النظام، تتولى المحكمة المختصة النظر في المخالفات المشار إليها في المادة (الأربعين) من النظام، وإيقاع العقوبات
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.