Article 16 of the Saudi Juvenile Law

This article places a limit on the scope of the Juvenile Law: it does not prejudice the rulings established by Sharia in hudud and qisas crimes.

"Does not prejudice" means that the provisions of the Law do not touch or detract from the Sharia rulings established for these two types of crimes. What Sharia has decided in hudud and qisas crimes remains in force, and the provisions of this Law are not regarded as preventing it.

This article follows Article 15, which sets what is imposed on a juvenile: measures only for a person who has not turned fifteen, and placement in the facility instead of prison for a person who has turned fifteen, for a period not exceeding half the maximum of the highest penalty, or ten years if the crime is one punishable by death. Article 16 makes clear that these provisions do not prejudice the Sharia rulings in hudud and qisas.

The article does not state which Sharia rulings are meant, the conditions for applying them to a juvenile, or how the court deals with this in each case. Those matters go beyond the text of the article. Under Article 1, a juvenile is a person who has turned seven but has not turned eighteen.

Because these cases are among the most serious juvenile cases, a family facing a hudud or qisas case should consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and juvenile cases as soon as possible.