Article 1 of the Saudi Law on Penalties for Impersonating a Public Authority Officer
المادة 1 من نظام عقوبات انتحال صفة رجل السلطة العامة
The article defines a public authority officer in this Law as anyone the Law empowers to carry out orders and instructions and to catch violations within the scope of his jurisdiction.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
رجل السلطة العامة في تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام هو كل من يخوله النظام سلطة تنفيذ الأوامر والتعليمات وضبط المخالفات التي تقع في دائرة اختصاصه.
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 1 explained in plain English
This article is the starting point for understanding the whole Law, because it defines who is a public authority officer whose impersonator is punished. The offense punished by Article 2 is precisely the impersonation of this capacity, so one must first know who falls within this description.
According to the text of the article, a public authority officer is anyone who combines two things:
- The Law has empowered him with this authority, meaning that his power derives from a statutory provision, not from a mere claim or agreement.
- His authority is to carry out orders and instructions and catch violations that occur within the scope of his jurisdiction.
The definition is general, so it is not limited to one particular category but includes everyone who has these attributes. Note that the definition is qualified by the phrase "in applying the provisions of this Law," meaning it was set for the purposes of this Law specifically.
The importance of the definition appears in Article 2, which punishes anyone who impersonates a public authority officer with imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine of not more than fifty thousand riyals or both, and increases the penalty in certain cases, including where the person impersonated is a member of the investigations or intelligence services, or a member of the military or the equivalent.
Anyone facing an accusation of impersonating this capacity, or who has been dealt with by someone who claimed it, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases to assess his position.
Practical example
A person in a neighborhood of Jeddah claimed to be an inspector empowered to catch violations, and asked a shop owner to produce his papers. To know whether his act falls within this Law, one first looks at the capacity he claimed: is it the capacity of someone whom the Law empowers to carry out orders and instructions and catch violations? If so, it is the capacity of a public authority officer that Article 2 protects.
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 1 of the Saudi Law on Penalties for Impersonating a Public Authority Officer
Who is a public authority officer under Saudi law?
Under this article, anyone whom the Law empowers to carry out orders and instructions and to catch violations that occur within the scope of his jurisdiction, in applying the provisions of this Law.
Is it enough for a person to claim authority to be a public authority officer?
No. The definition requires that the Law be what has empowered him to carry out orders and catch violations within the scope of his jurisdiction.
What is the penalty for impersonating a public authority officer?
Article 2 sets it: imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine of not more than fifty thousand riyals or both, increased in the cases it provides for.
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.