Article 33 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 33 من نظام الإثبات · الفصل الثاني: المحرَّرات العادية
A creditor's annotation on a debt bond, another copy of it, or a receipt, indicating that the debtor is discharged, is binding on the creditor under specific conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تأشير الدائن على سند الدين بخطه دون توقيع منه بما يفيد براءة ذمة المدين يعد حجة على الدائن إلى أن يثبت العكس، ويكون التأشير على السند بمثل ذلك حجة على الدائن أيضاً ولو لم يكن بخطه ولا موقعاً منه؛ ما دام السند لم يخرج قط من حيازته.
2- يسري حكم الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة إذا أثبت الدائن بخطه دون توقيع منه ما يفيد براءة ذمة المدين في نسخة أصلية أخرى لسند أو مخالصة، وكانت النسخة أو المخالصة في يد المدين.
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 33 explained in plain English
This Article deals with the case where a creditor writes on a debt bond something indicating that the debtor has been discharged, that is, has paid or been released, without signing it. It sets out three situations:
- An annotation in the creditor's handwriting on the bond: If the creditor annotates the debt bond in his own handwriting, without a signature, indicating that the debtor is discharged, this is treated as binding on the creditor until the contrary is proven.
- An annotation not in his handwriting and not signed by him: An annotation of the same kind on the bond is also binding on the creditor, even if it is not in his handwriting and not signed by him, provided that the bond has never left his possession.
- Another copy or a receipt in the debtor's hands: The rule in the first paragraph applies if the creditor wrote in his own handwriting, without a signature, something indicating that the debtor is discharged on another original copy of the bond or on a receipt, and that copy or receipt is in the debtor's hands.
Note that the Article ties the rule to specific conditions in each situation: the handwriting in the first, the bond remaining in the creditor's possession in the second, and the creditor writing in his own handwriting and the copy or receipt being in the debtor's hands in the third.
This Article is linked to Article 32, which makes private papers binding on their writer if he expressly states in them that he has collected his debt. A person who has a dispute about payment of a debt is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases.
Practical example
Saad borrowed an amount from a merchant in Dammam under a bond signed by him, and the bond stayed with the merchant. When payment was demanded, an unsigned annotation in the merchant's handwriting appeared on the bond itself, stating that the debt had been paid. This annotation is binding on the merchant until the contrary is proven.
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 33 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Is payment established if the creditor wrote on the bond that he received the amount but did not sign?
Yes. A creditor's annotation in his own handwriting on a debt bond indicating that the debtor is discharged is binding on the creditor until the contrary is proven.
What if the annotation on the bond is not in the creditor's handwriting?
It is also binding on the creditor, even if it is not in his handwriting and not signed by him, as long as the bond has never left his possession.
Does the rule apply to a receipt in the debtor's hands?
Yes, if the creditor wrote in his own handwriting, without a signature, something indicating that the debtor is discharged on a receipt or another original copy of the bond, and it is in the debtor's hands.
More articles on Proof by Writing
- Article 25
An official document is one in which a public employee or person assigned to a public service records matters in accordance with legal formalities and within their authority; otherwise it has the force of an ordinary document if signed by the persons concerned.
1- المحرَّر الرسمي هو الذي يثبت فيه موظف عام أو شخص مكلف بخدمة عامة، ما تم على يديه أو ما تلقاه من ذوي الشأن، طبقاً للأوضاع النظامية، وفي حدود سلطته واختصاصه. 2
- Article 26
An official document is binding on everyone as to what its author did within his task or what occurred in his presence, unless forgery is proven, and what the persons concerned stated in it is binding on them unless the contrary is proven.
1- المحرَّر الرسمي حجة على الكافة بما دون فيه من أمور قام بها محرره في حدود مهمته، أو حدثت من ذوي الشأن في حضوره؛ ما لم يثبت تزويره بالطرق المقررة نظاماً. 2- يك
- Article 27
An official copy of an official document whose original exists is binding to the extent it matches the original; it is treated as matching unless a person concerned disputes it, in which case it must be compared with the original.
1- إذا كان أصل المحرَّر الرسمي موجوداً، فإن صورته الرسمية تعد حجة بالقدر الذي تكون فيه مطابقة للأصل. 2- تكون الصورة رسمية إذا أخذت من الأصل؛ وفقاً للإجراءات الم
- Article 28
If the original of an official document does not exist, an official copy has the force of the original if its appearance leaves no room for doubt that it matches, and other copies are taken into account only for guidance.
إذا لم يوجد أصل المحرَّر الرسمي فتكون للصورة الرسمية حجية الأصل؛ متى كان مظهرها الخارجي لا يسمح بالشك في مطابقتها للأصل، وما عدا ذلك من الصور فلا يعتد بها إلا ل
- Article 29
An ordinary document is binding on the person who signed it unless he expressly denies his handwriting, signature, seal or fingerprint, and a denial is not accepted from a person who has discussed the substance of the document before the court.
1- يعد المحرَّر العادي صادراً ممن وقعه وحجة عليه؛ ما لم ينكر صراحة ما هو منسوب إليه من خط أو إمضاء أو ختم أو بصمة، أو ينكر ذلك خلَفُه أو ينفي علمه بأن الخط أو ا
- Article 30
Correspondence that is signed, or proven to be attributable to its sender, has the force of an ordinary document, unless the sender proves that he did not send it and did not assign anyone to send it.
تكون للمراسلات الموقع عليها أو الثابت نسبتها إلى مرسلها؛ حجية المحرَّر العادي في الإثبات، ما لم يثبت المرسل أنه لم يرسل الرسالة ولم يكلف أحداً بإرسالها.
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.