Article 6 of the Saudi Juvenile Law

المادة 6 من نظام الأحداث

The article provides that, in all cases, notifying a juvenile is not valid unless his guardian or the person acting in his place is notified.

Official text (Arabic)

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

في جميع الأحوال لا يكون إجراء تبليغ الحدث صحيحاً إلاَّ إذا بُلّغ ولي أمره أو من يقوم مقامه.

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 6 explained in plain English

This article sets a clear rule on notifying a juvenile: the notification is not valid unless his guardian or the person acting in his place is notified.

This means that notifying the juvenile alone is not enough; if the notification is directed to the juvenile without his guardian or the person acting in his place, this procedure is not valid. The purpose is that whoever takes charge of the juvenile knows what is required of him, so that he can attend with him and follow his matter.

The phrase "in all cases" means the rule is general and is not limited to a particular type of notification or a particular stage of the case. The article does not state the method of notification itself.

This rule is complemented by Article 5, which requires, in cases other than flagrante delicto, informing the juvenile and his guardian of the charge against him, and by Article 7, which prevents detaining a juvenile for investigation unless the Public Prosecution sees that the interest requires it. A juvenile under Article 1 is someone who has completed seven years and has not completed eighteen.

If a notification reached the juvenile and his guardian was not notified, you can consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases and juvenile cases to learn the effect of this on the case.

Practical example

A summons was issued for a 15-year-old young man in Medina, and the summons was handed to him alone at school without notifying his father. Under this article, this notification is not valid unless his father or the person acting in his place is notified.

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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