Article 105 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 105 من نظام الإثبات · الفصل الثالث: اليمين المتممة
The court tenders the supplementary oath to the plaintiff if he presents incomplete evidence in financial rights; if he swears, judgment is given for him, and if he refuses, his evidence is disregarded; it is sworn on certainty and may not be referred back.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- توجه المحكمة اليمين المتممة للمدعي إذا قدم دليلاً ناقصاً في الحقوق المالية، فإن حلف حُكم له، وإن نكل لم يعتد بدليله.
2- تكون اليمين المتممة على البت.
3- لا يجوز رد اليمين المتممة على الخصم الآخر.
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 105 explained in plain English
This article regulates the supplementary oath, an oath that completes incomplete evidence presented by the plaintiff.
Conditions for tendering it:
- It is tendered by the court itself.
- It is tendered to the plaintiff.
- The plaintiff must have presented incomplete evidence, that is, evidence that is not enough on its own for judgment.
- The case must concern financial rights.
Its effect: if the plaintiff swears, judgment is given for him, and if he refuses, his incomplete evidence is disregarded.
Other rules:
- The supplementary oath is sworn on certainty, that is, a categorical oath, not on denial of knowledge.
- It may not be referred back to the other party.
The article is connected to Article 106, which provides that the guardian, the executor, the endowment supervisor and those in a similar position take the supplementary oath in what they themselves carried out.
Whether the evidence is "incomplete" is for the court to assess in each case. Anyone who has incomplete evidence of a financial right is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and civil matters to learn his position.
Practical example
Saad claimed from a customer an amount for goods he had delivered to him, and he presented messages pointing to the agreement but not proving the full amount. The court considered the evidence incomplete and tendered the supplementary oath to Saad; when he swore, judgment was given for him, and had he declined, his evidence would have been disregarded.
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 105 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
When does the court tender the supplementary oath?
When the plaintiff presents incomplete evidence in financial rights.
What happens if the plaintiff refuses the supplementary oath?
If he refuses it, his incomplete evidence is disregarded.
Can the supplementary oath be referred back to the defendant?
No. The supplementary oath may not be referred back to the other party, and it is sworn on certainty.
More articles on The Oath
- Article 3
The article sets general rules of evidence: the evidence is on the claimant and the oath on the denier, the function of each, and the difference between the force of evidence and of admission.
1- البينة على من ادعى، واليمين على من أنكر. 2- البينة لإثبات خلاف الظاهر، واليمين لإبقاء الأصل. 3- البينة حجة متعدية، والإقرار حجة قاصرة. 4- الثابت بالبرهان كال
- Article 12
A mute person's admission, interrogation, testimony and oath, and the directing, refusing and returning of it, are done in writing, or if he cannot write, by his customary gestures.
يكون إقرار الأخرس ومن في حكمه واستجوابه وأداؤه للشهادة واليمين وتوجيهها والنكول عنها وردها بالكتابة، فإن لم يكن يعرف الكتابة فبإشارته المعهودة.
- Article 31
The Article explains when merchants' books are binding for or against their owner, that they are not binding on non-merchants, and when the court may administer the supplementary oath based on them.
1- لا تكون دفاتر التجار حجة على غير التجار، ومع ذلك فإن البيانات المثبتة فيها تصلح أساساً يجيز للمحكمة أن توجه اليمين المتممة لمن قوي جانبه من الطرفين، وذلك فيم
- Article 35
The Article sets out when the court orders the opponent to produce the requested document, and the consequences if he refuses to produce it or denies that it exists.
1- إذا أقر الخصم أن المحرَّر في حوزته أو سكت، أو أثبت الطالب صحة طلبه، أمرت المحكمة بتقديم المحرَّر. 2- إذا امتنع الخصم عن تقديم المحرَّر المطلوب بعد إمهاله مرة
- Article 51
Where proof must be in writing, a judicial admission, a decisive oath, or a beginning of written proof supported by another means of proof may take its place, and the Article defines this beginning of proof.
1- يجوز في الأحوال التي يجب فيها الإثبات بالكتابة أن يحل محلها الإقرار القضائي، أو اليمين الحاسمة، أو مبدأ الثبوت بالكتابة المعزز بطريق إثبات آخر؛ وذلك فيما لم
- Article 74
The Article provides that testimony is given orally and may be given in writing with the court's permission, and that the court may administer an oath to the witness when necessary and assess the effect of his refusal to swear.
1- تؤدى الشهادة شفاهاً. ويجوز أداؤها كتابة بإذن المحكمة. 2- يجوز للمحكمة تحليف الشاهد عند الاقتضاء، وإذا امتنع عن الحلف فتقدر المحكمة أثر ذلك.
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.