Article 69 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 69 من نظام الإثبات · الفصل الأول: محل الشهادة
The Article states that testimony is based on seeing, inspecting or hearing, and testimony by general repute is accepted only for what is generally impossible to know without it, such as death, marriage and lineage.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تكون الشهادة عن مشاهدة أو معاينة أو سماع، ولا تقبل الشهادة بالاستفاضة إلا فيما يتعذر علمه غالباً دونها، ومن ذلك ما يأتي:
1- الوفاة.
2- النكاح.
3- النسب.
4- الملك المطلق.
5- الوقف والوصية ومصرفهما.
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 69 explained in plain English
This Article sets out the source of a witness's knowledge on which his testimony rests, and then sets a special rule for a particular kind of testimony, namely testimony by general repute.
First: sources of testimony. Testimony is based on:
- Seeing: the witness sees the event himself.
- Inspection: he examines the thing or the condition himself.
- Hearing: he hears the event himself.
Second: testimony by general repute. Its wording indicates testimony to what has become widely known among people, not to what the witness himself saw, inspected or heard. The rule in the Article is that it is not accepted, except for what is generally impossible to know without it. The Article mentions as examples:
- Death.
- Marriage.
- Lineage.
- Absolute ownership.
- Endowment (waqf) and bequest, and their beneficiaries.
The phrase "among these" means that these matters are examples of what is generally impossible to know without general repute, and the criterion is this impossibility.
This Article is linked to Article 68, which permits proof by testimony in certain cases for what must be proven in writing, and to Article 70, which requires a witness to have reached the age of fifteen and to be of sound judgment. Because these matters are often connected to family, estates and endowments, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status or civil litigation, depending on the nature of the dispute.
Practical example
A family in Al-Qassim comes forward to prove an old endowment made by their great-grandfather for the village mosque, and there is no one alive today who was present when it was created. Here the testimony of the village elders by general repute about the endowment and its beneficiaries may be accepted, because endowment is one of the matters the Article mentions as generally impossible to know without general repute.
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 69 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 69 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
What is testimony by general repute?
It is testimony based on what has become widely known among people, and it is accepted only for what is generally impossible to know without it, such as death, marriage, lineage, absolute ownership, and endowment and bequest and their beneficiaries.
May a witness testify to what he heard?
Yes. The Article states that testimony is based on seeing, inspecting or hearing.
Can lineage or death be proven by general repute?
Yes. Death and lineage are among the matters the Article mentions for which testimony by general repute is accepted.
More articles on Testimony and Witnesses
- Article 11
Admission, interrogation, testimony and the oath take place before the court, which may move or assign a judge if that is not possible, and delegates the court of the place of residence if evidence cannot be taken electronically.
1- تكون إجراءات الإثبات من إقرار أو استجواب أو أداء للشهادة أو اليمين أمام المحكمة، فإن تعذر فللمحكمة أن تنتقل أو تكلف أحد قضاتها بذلك. 2- إذا كان المقر أو المس
- 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 19
A non-judicial admission is proved in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Evidence, and may not be proved by testimony except in cases where proof by testimony is permitted.
يكون إثبات الإقرار غير القضائي وفق الأحكام المقررة في هذا النظام، بما في ذلك عدم جواز إثباته بالشهادة إلا في الأحوال التي يجوز فيها الإثبات بالشهادة.
- Article 65
The Article provides that the rule is that proof by witness testimony is permitted, unless a provision states otherwise.
يجوز الإثبات بشهادة الشهود؛ ما لم يرد نص يقضي بغير ذلك.
- Article 66
The Article requires every transaction worth more than SAR 100,000, or of unspecified value, to be proven in writing, bars proof by witnesses unless agreed or provided, and explains how value is assessed.
1- يجب أن يثبت بالكتابة كل تصرف تزيد قيمته على (مائة ألف ريال أو ما يعادلها) أو كان غير محدد القيمة. 2- لا تقبل شهادة الشهود في إثبات وجود أو انقضاء التصرفات ال
- Article 67
The Article sets out three cases in which proof by witnesses is barred even if the value of the transaction does not exceed SAR 100,000.
لا يجوز الإثبات بشهادة الشهود ولو لم تزد قيمة التصرف على (مائة ألف ريال أو ما يعادلها) في الحالات الآتية: 1- فيما اشترط النظام لصحته أو إثباته أن يكون مكتوباً.
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.