Article 21 of the Saudi Juvenile Law

المادة 21 من نظام الأحداث

The article provides that all judgments concerning a juvenile are executed inside the facility in the presence of a court representative, subject to Article 15, unless the court decides otherwise.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

مع مراعاة حكم المادة (الخامسة عشرة) من النظام، تنًّفذ جميع الأحكام الصادرة في شأن الحدث داخل الدار وبحضور مندوب من المحكمة، ما لم ترَ المحكمة غير ذلك.

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 21 explained in plain English

This article sets where judgments issued concerning a juvenile are executed and how:

Inside the facility: all judgments issued concerning the juvenile are executed inside the facility, which under Article 1 is a body affiliated with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
In the presence of a court representative: a representative of the court competent in juvenile cases attends the execution.
The exception: unless the court sees otherwise.

The article begins with the phrase "subject to the provision of Article 15", meaning that this rule applies with regard to what that article provides. Article 15 imposes only measures on a person who has not turned fifteen, including reprimand and warning, handing over to the parent he or she lives with or to whoever has guardianship, social supervision in his or her natural environment for a period not exceeding two years, and placement in a social or treatment institution. It punishes a person who has turned fifteen by placement in the facility instead of prison. It also provides that the court assigns whichever executing bodies it sees fit to follow up the execution of the measures, and may at any time impose a measure, end it or replace it.

The article does not explain in detail what this regard involves, or the cases in which the court sees that execution should take place in another way.

After execution, a juvenile sentenced to placement may be conditionally released under Article 20 if he or she has served a quarter of the term. To learn how a judgment issued against a juvenile is executed in a particular case, you can consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and juvenile cases.

Practical example

A judgment is issued against a 16-year-old in Hail. The judgment is executed inside the facility in the presence of a court representative, unless the court sees otherwise, subject to the measures and penalties that Article 15 provides and its assigning of executing bodies to follow up the measures.

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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