Article 123 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 123 من نظام الإثبات · الباب العاشر: الخبرة
The article allows the court, as an exception to the expert procedures, to appoint an expert to give an oral or written opinion on a simple technical matter, by a decision recorded in the hearing minutes that sets the date.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- استثناء من الإجراءات المنظمة للخبرة، يجوز للمحكمة -بقرار تثبته في محضر الجلسة- أن تندب خبيراً لإبداء رأيه شفاهاً في مسألة فنية يسيرة لا تتطلب عملاً مطولاً أو معقداً، وللمحكمة أن تقرر تقديم الرأي مكتوباً.
2- تحدّد المحكمة في القرار موعد الجلسة التي يقدم فيها الخبير رأيه شفاهاً أو الأجل الذي يجب تقديم الرأي المكتوب فيه.
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 123 explained in plain English
This article sets a shortened route for expert opinion on simple technical matters, instead of the usual procedures governing expert opinion that may take time.
- Its scope: a simple technical matter that does not require lengthy or complex work. If the matter is complex, this exceptional route is not suitable for it.
- How the appointment is made: the court issues a decision, recorded in the hearing minutes, appointing the expert.
- Form of the opinion: as a rule the expert gives his opinion orally, and the court may decide that it be submitted in writing.
- Timing: in the decision itself, the court sets the date of the hearing at which the expert is to give his oral opinion, or the deadline by which the written opinion must be submitted.
The practical benefit of this article is speeding up the decision of the case and reducing procedures when one specific technical question is enough to settle a point in the dispute.
Connected to it are Article 122, which provides that the party who lost the claim that was the subject of the expert opinion bears the amount fixed for it, and Article 124, which allows the court to rely on an expert report submitted in another case instead of using an expert in the case.
Whether the matter is simple is for the court to assess, as the text indicates, and anyone who wants to know what is most suitable for his case may consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and procedure.
Practical example
In a dispute between a buyer and an electronics store in Dammam over whether a defect in a mobile phone resulted from misuse or from a manufacturing fault, the court considered the matter a simple technical one. It appointed a technician by a decision recorded in the hearing minutes, and set the next hearing as the date for him to give his opinion orally before it.
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 123 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Can the expert give his opinion orally at the hearing?
Yes. The court may appoint an expert to give his opinion orally on a simple technical matter that does not require lengthy or complex work, and it may decide that the opinion be submitted in writing.
How does the court appoint the expert in this case?
By a decision recorded in the hearing minutes, in which it sets the date of the hearing at which the expert gives his opinion orally or the deadline for the written opinion.
Is this route suitable for complex technical matters?
No. The article limits it to simple technical matters that do not require lengthy or complex work, and it is an exception to the procedures governing expert opinion.
More articles on Inspection and Expert Opinion
- Article 91
The article allows the court, where necessary, to appoint an expert to verify that a custom or usual course of dealing between the parties exists, in accordance with the provisions on expert opinion in Part Ten of the Law.
للمحكمة عند الاقتضاء ندب خبير للتحقق من ثبوت العرف أو العادة بين الخصوم، وفقاً للأحكام المقررة في الباب (العاشر) من هذا النظام.
- Article 108
The article allows the court, of its own motion or at a party's request, to order an inspection of the matter in dispute, with notice to an absent party at least 24 hours before, and to use an expert and hear witnesses.
1- للمحكمة -من تلقاء نفسها أو بناء على طلب أحد الخصوم- أن تقرر معاينة المتنازع فيه، وتحدد في قرار المعاينة تاريخها ومكانها، ويبلغ به من كان غائباً من الخصوم قبل
- Article 109
The article allows a person who fears the features of a fact that may become disputed will be lost to request its inspection and the recording of its condition by an urgent claim, with the possible appointment of an expert and a hearing set for the parties' comments on his report.
1- يجوز لمن يخشى ضياع معالم واقعة يحتمل أن تصبح محل نزاع أمام القضاء أن يطلب معاينتها وإثبات حالتها، ويقدم الطلب بدعوى مستعجلة للمحكمة المختصة وفقاً للإجراءات ا
- Article 110
The article allows the court, of its own motion or at a party's request, to appoint one or more experts to give an opinion on technical matters, with expertise suited to the subject, and to approve the parties' agreement on an expert.
1- للمحكمة -من تلقاء نفسها أو بناء على طلب أحد الخصوم- أن تقرر ندب خبير أو أكثر؛ لإبداء رأيه في المسائل الفنية التي يستلزمها الفصل في الدعوى. 2- يراعى في اختيار
- Article 111
The article requires the operative part of the order appointing an expert to state precisely his task, his powers, and the urgent measures he is authorized to take.
يجب أن يتضمن منطوق قرار ندب الخبير بياناً دقيقاً بمهمته، وصلاحياته، والتدابير العاجلة التي يؤذن له في اتخاذها.
- Article 112
The article governs the court's setting of the expert fee amount, the party required to deposit it and the deadline, the other party's option to deposit with a right of recourse, and the effect of neither party depositing.
1- تحدد المحكمة -عند الاقتضاء- المبلغ المقرر للخبرة، والخصم المكلف بإيداع المبلغ وتعين أجلاً لذلك. 2- إذا لم يودع الخصم المكلف المبلغ المقرر للخبرة في الأجل الم
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.