Article 45 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 45 من نظام الإثبات · الفرع الثالث: الادعاء بالتزوير
The Article requires the person claiming forgery to hand over the document or his served copy or lose his right to claim, and regulates the case where the document is held by the opponent and he refuses to hand it over.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على مدعي التزوير أن يسلم المحكمة المحرَّر المدعى تزويره إن كان تحت يده أو صورته المبلغة إليه، وإذا امتنع عن تسليم المحرَّر أو صورته -بحسب الأحوال- سقط حقه في الادعاء بتزويره، ولا يقبل منه هذا الادعاء بعد ذلك.
2- إذا كان المحرَّر تحت يد الخصم فللمحكمة أن تكلفه بتسليمه إلى المحكمة، أو تأمر بضبطه وإيداعه، وإذا امتنع الخصم عن تسليم المحرَّر وتعذر على المحكمة ضبطه عُد غير موجود، ولا يمنع ذلك من ضبطه -إن أمكن- فيما بعد.
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 45 explained in plain English
Forgery cannot be investigated without the document before the court, so this Article places duties on both parties:
First: the duty of the person claiming forgery. He must hand over to the court the document alleged to be forged if it is in his possession, or his copy that was served on him. If he refuses to hand over the document or his copy, as the case may be, his right to claim that it is forged is forfeited, and the claim is not accepted from him afterwards.
Second: if the document is in the opponent's possession. The court may:
- require him to hand it over to the court, or
- order that it be seized and deposited.
If the opponent refuses to hand it over and the court is unable to seize it, the document is treated as nonexistent. This does not, however, prevent it from being seized later if possible.
The result is that the party who refuses to hand over the document bears the consequence of his refusal: the person claiming forgery loses his right to claim, and the person relying on the document has his document treated as nonexistent if it cannot be seized.
Article 44 sets out how a claim of forgery is made and when the court orders an investigation, while Article 46 allows the person claiming forgery to withdraw his claim, and the respondent to end the investigation by giving up reliance on the document. A person who claims that a document is forged, or against whom this is claimed, is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in civil litigation.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh claimed that a supply contract submitted by its opponent was forged, and the original contract is held by the opponent. The court required him to hand it over and he refused, and it could not be seized, so the contract is treated as nonexistent, although it may be seized later if possible.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 45 of Law of Evidence?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributor
Unwan Law Firm
Frequently asked questions about Article 45 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
What happens if I do not hand over the document I claim is forged?
If the person claiming forgery refuses to hand over the document in his possession or his served copy, his right to claim that it is forged is forfeited and the claim is not accepted from him afterwards.
What if the forged document is held by the opponent?
The court may require him to hand it over or order that it be seized and deposited; if he refuses and it cannot be seized, it is treated as nonexistent.
Can the document be seized later after it has been treated as nonexistent?
Yes. Treating it as nonexistent does not prevent it from being seized later if possible.
More articles on Denying a Signature and Challenging for Forgery
- 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 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 38
The Article gives the court power to assess the effect of physical defects in a document on its evidentiary force, to accept all or part of it, and to question its issuer or author where its validity is doubtful.
1- للمحكمة أن تقدر ما يترتب على العيوب المادية في المحرَّر من إسقاط حجيته في الإثبات أو إنقاصها، ولها أن تأخذ بكل ما تضمنه المحرَّر أو ببعضه. 2- إذا كانت صحة ال
- Article 39
The Article distinguishes between a claim of forgery, which applies to official and ordinary documents, and denial of handwriting, seal, signature or fingerprint, which applies only to ordinary documents, and sets the burden of proof.
1- يرد الادعاء بالتزوير على المحرَّر الرسمي والعادي، أما إنكار الخط أو الختم أو الإمضاء أو البصمة فلا يرد إلا على المحرَّر العادي. 2- على الخصم الذي يدعي التزوي
- Article 40
The Article sets the conditions under which the court orders an investigation by comparison, by hearing witnesses, or by both, when handwriting, signature, seal or fingerprint on an ordinary document is denied.
إذا أنكر من احتج عليه بالمحرَّر العادي خطه أو إمضاءه أو ختمه أو بصمته، أو أنكر ذلك خلفه أو نائبه أو نفى علمه به، وظل الخصم الآخر متمسكاً بالمحرَّر، وكان المحرَّ
- Article 41
The Article regulates the hearing at which documents for comparison are submitted and the effect of parties' absence, and requires the party disputing a document's validity to attend in person to provide a handwriting sample.
1- تحدد المحكمة جلسة لحضور الخصوم لتقديم ما لديهم من محرَّرات للمضاهاة، والاتفاق على ما يصلح منها لذلك، فإن تخلف الخصم المكلف بالإثبات بغير عذر مقبول جاز الحكم
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.