Article 91 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 91 من نظام الإثبات · الباب السابع: العرف
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة عند الاقتضاء ندب خبير للتحقق من ثبوت العرف أو العادة بين الخصوم، وفقاً للأحكام المقررة في الباب (العاشر) من هذا النظام.
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 91 explained in plain English
A party may rely on a prevailing custom or on a usual course of dealing between him and his opponent, and the existence of that custom or usual course of dealing may not be clear to the court. For that reason, this article gives the court the power to appoint an expert to verify its existence.
The main points of the article:
- Appointment is a discretionary power of the court, which it exercises "where necessary," that is, when it sees a need for it; it is not a required step in every case in which a custom is relied on.
- The expert's task is limited to verifying that the custom or usual course of dealing between the parties exists.
- The appointment and work of the expert are subject to the provisions of Part Ten of the Law on expert opinion; this article does not set out separate procedures for it.
The article is connected to Article 90, which gives the usual course of dealing between the parties and special custom priority over general custom in case of conflict; the court may need to know whether there is a usual course of dealing between the parties or a special custom before it applies that priority rule, and an expert is a means of doing so.
The article does not specify the type of expert or how he is selected or paid; these are governed by the provisions of Part Ten. Anyone who wants to rely on a custom or usual course of dealing in a dispute is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and in civil and commercial matters.
Practical example
A wholesale merchant in Jeddah had for years allowed one of his customers a period to pay, without writing this on the invoices. When a dispute arose over the delay, the customer relied on this usual course of dealing, and the court decided to appoint an expert to verify that it existed between them, in accordance with the provisions on expert opinion.
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 91 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Can the court use an expert to prove a custom?
Yes. Where necessary, the court may appoint an expert to verify that a custom or usual course of dealing between the parties exists.
Is it mandatory for the court to appoint an expert to prove a custom?
No. The article makes it a power the court exercises where necessary, that is, when it sees a need for it.
Which provisions govern the expert's work in this case?
The provisions in Part Ten of the Law of Evidence on expert opinion.
More articles on Presumptions, Custom and Res Judicata
- Article 84
Presumptions provided for by Sharia or by law spare the person in whose favor they are established from any other means of proof, and the other side may rebut them by any means unless a provision says otherwise.
القرائن المنصوص عليها شرعاً أو نظاماً تغني من قررت لمصلحته عن أي طريق آخر من طرق الإثبات، على أنه يجوز نقض دلالتها بأي طريق آخر؛ ما لم يوجد نص يقضي بغير ذلك.
- Article 85
The article allows the court to infer other presumptions in matters provable by witness testimony, explaining how they point to the fact, and to use scientific means for that purpose.
1- للمحكمة أن تستنبط قرائن أخرى للإثبات، وذلك في الأحوال التي يجوز فيها الإثبات بالشهادة؛ على أن تبين وجه دلالتها. 2- للمحكمة الاستعانة بالوسائل العلمية في استن
- Article 86
The article provides that judgments that have acquired the force of res judicata are conclusive on what they decided and no evidence may be accepted to undo this, provided the parties, their capacities, and the right in object and cause are the same; the court applies it of its own motion.
الأحكام التي حازت حجية الأمر المقضي حجةٌ فيما فصلت فيه من الحقوق، ولا يجوز قبول دليل ينقض هذه الحجية. ولا تكون لتلك الأحكام هذه الحجية إلا في نزاع قام بين الخصو
- Article 87
The court is bound by a criminal judgment related to the case before it only on the facts it decided where that decision was necessary, and by an acquittal only if it rested on denying that the act is attributable to the accused.
لا تتقيد المحكمة بالحكم الجزائي المرتبط بالدعوى المعروضة عليها إلا في الوقائع التي فصل فيها ذلك الحكم، وكان فصله فيها ضرورياً، ومع ذلك لا تتقيد بالحكم الصادر بع
- Article 88
The article allows proof by custom or by the usual course of dealing between the parties, where no special provision or agreement between the parties applies and the custom does not contradict public order.
يجوز الإثبات بالعرف، أو العادة بين الخصوم، وذلك فيما لم يرد فيه نص خاص أو اتفاق بين الأطراف أو فيما لا يخالف النظام العام.
- Article 89
The article requires whoever relies on custom or the usual course of dealing between the parties to prove its existence at the time of the incident, and allows any party to challenge its proof and counter it with something stronger.
1- على من يتمسك بالعرف أو العادة بين الخصوم أن يثبت وجودهما وقت الواقعة. 2- لأي من الخصوم الطعن في ثبوت العرف أو العادة بين الخصوم، كما أن لهم معارضتهما بما هو
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.