In force Last amended 26/1/1447 AH
Saudi Law of Legal Practice
نظام المحاماة
The law covers the legal profession and the conditions for practicing it, the duties and rights of lawyers, lawyer discipline, and general and transitional provisions.
- Articles
- 56
- In force
- 55
- Amended
- 10
- Issued
- 28/7/1422 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم م/38 بتاريخ 28 / 7 / 1422 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 199 بتاريخ 14 / 7 / 1422
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
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Articles of the Saudi Law of Legal Practice
الباب الأول: تعريف مهنة المحاماة وشروط مزاولتهاArticles 1–10
- Article 1The Article defines the legal profession as pleading for others before the courts, the Board of Grievances and competent committees, and giving Sharia and legal consultations, and confirms every person's right to plead for himself.
- Article 2The Article requires the Ministry of Justice to prepare two registers for enrolling practicing and non-practicing lawyers, and to move anyone who stops practicing for more than a year to the non-practicing register.
- Article 3The Article requires enrollment in the practicing register to practice law, and sets the conditions: nationality, qualification, experience, good conduct, no disqualifying conviction, and residence in the Kingdom.Amended
- Article 4The Article exempts anyone who has served as a judge in the Kingdom for at least three years from the qualification and experience conditions in paragraphs (b) and (c) of Article 3.
- Article 5The Article provides that the application for enrollment is submitted, in a form set by the Regulations, to the Committee for Enrolling and Admitting Lawyers, and describes its composition and members' terms.
- Article 6The Article explains how the Committee for Enrolling and Admitting Lawyers meets, requires it to decide on a complete application within 30 days, and gives a right of grievance to the Board of Grievances within 60 days.
- Article 7The Article provides that the law license is issued by decision of the Minister of Justice after enrollment in the register for five years, renewable, with a fee of SAR 2,000 on issue and SAR 1,000 on renewal.
- Article 8The Article requires the Ministry of Justice to notify the courts, the Board of Grievances and committees of practicing lawyers' names on licensing or renewal, and to make a list of their names and addresses available for inspection.
- Article 9The Article requires a lawyer who stops practicing for more than a year to notify the Ministry of Justice, in a form set by the Implementing Regulations.
- Article 10The Article allows a professional law firm to be formed between two or more lawyers enrolled in the register, as provided by the Professional Companies Law.
الباب الثاني: واجبات المحامين وحقوقهمArticles 11–28
- Article 11The Article requires a lawyer to practice his profession in accordance with Sharia principles and the laws in force, to refrain from anything that undermines its dignity, and to respect the rules and instructions issued for it.
- Article 12The Article bars a lawyer from touching on personal matters of his client's opponent or the opponent's lawyer, and requires him to refrain from insults or accusations that affect honor and dignity.
- Article 13The Article gives a lawyer freedom to follow the course he considers successful in defense, and bars holding him accountable for what he says in writing or orally where the right of defense requires it, subject to Article 12.
- Article 14The Article bars a lawyer from accepting a case or giving a consultation against a body he works for or whose relationship ended less than 5 years ago, or against his client under a part-time contract within 3 years.
- Article 15The Article bars a lawyer, himself or through another, from accepting agency for his client's opponent or giving him any help in the same case or a related case, even after his agency has ended.
- Article 16The Article bars a person who was a judge before practicing law from accepting agency, himself or through another lawyer, in a case that was before him.
- Article 17The Article bars a person who gave an opinion in a case as an employee, arbitrator or expert from accepting agency in that case.
- Article 18The Article limits pleading for others to lawyers enrolled in the register of practicing lawyers, with exceptions for a spouse, in-law or relative up to the fourth degree, the legal representative, the guardian, the waqf supervisor and the Bayt al-Mal officer.Amended M/21
- Article 19The Article requires courts, the Board of Grievances, committees, official departments and investigating authorities to give a lawyer facilities, let him inspect papers and attend investigations, and bars refusing his requests without a legitimate reason.
- Article 20The Article requires a lawyer or agent to submit the original of his power of attorney or a certified copy at the first hearing, and explains the effect of the client attending with him and of an officially certified general power of attorney.
- Article 21The Article requires every lawyer to have one or more seats for handling the cases entrusted to him, and to notify the Ministry of Justice of the address of his seat and any change to it.
- Article 21 bisThe Article requires every person licensed to practice law to obtain basic membership in the Saudi Bar Association within 90 days of obtaining the license.Amended
- Article 22The Article requires a lawyer to return the power of attorney and original documents to his client when the agency ends and he asks, and allows him to keep them until the due fees and the cost of copies are paid.
- Article 23The Article bars a lawyer from disclosing a secret entrusted to him or learned through his profession, even after his agency ends, unless a Sharia requirement conflicts with that, and from abandoning a case without a legitimate reason.
- Article 24The Article bars hearing a client's claim against his lawyer for the papers and documents deposited with him after 5 years from the end of his task, unless the client requested them earlier by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.
- Article 25لا يجوز للمحامي أن يشتري كل الحقوق المتنازع عليها أو بعضها، التي يكون وكيلا عليها.Repealed
- Article 26The Article makes the lawyer's fees and how they are paid a matter of agreement with his client, and if there is none, or it is void, or it is rescinded or terminated, the court sets them on dispute according to effort and benefit.Amended M/21
- Article 27The Article allows a client to dismiss his lawyer, and requires him to pay the full agreed fees if the dismissal is proved to be without a legitimate reason, unless the competent court decides otherwise.
- Article 28The Article provides that if the lawyer dies and his heirs and the client do not agree on the fees, the court that heard the case sets them in light of effort and benefit, the stage of the case and the agreement made.
الباب الثالث: تأديب المحاميArticles 29–37
- Article 29The Article provides for striking off a lawyer and a foreign law office on conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, and sets professional penalties: a warning, suspension up to 3 years, striking off, and a fine up to SAR 300,000.Amended
- Article 30The Article authorizes the Minister of Justice to issue rules and procedures for detection, bringing the disciplinary case and hearing it, in a manner suited to its nature.Amended
- Article 31The Article establishes the Disciplinary Committee by decision of the Minister of Justice, sets its composition, members' terms and how it meets, and allows appeal of its decisions to the Board of Grievances within 60 days.
- Article 32The Article requires the lawyer to be notified by official letter stating the violation and its evidence at least 15 days before the hearing, allows him to attend or appoint an agent, and permits a decision in absentia after he has been notified twice.
- Article 33The Article requires the disciplinary decision to be reasoned and issued after hearing the accusation and the defense in a closed session, and regulates its notification, recording, and the publication of the operative part of a final striking-off or suspension decision at the lawyer's expense.
- Article 34The Article allows a lawyer to object to a disciplinary decision in absentia within 15 days of notification or receipt of a copy, with the objection submitted by him or his agent to the Disciplinary Committee through its chairman.
- Article 35This article moves a suspended lawyer to the list of non-practicing lawyers, bars him from opening his office, penalizes practice during suspension with removal and license cancellation, and leaves pending cases to rules issued by the Minister.
- Article 36The article allows a lawyer whose name was removed by a disciplinary decision to ask the Lawyers' Registration and Admission Committee to reinstate him after 3 years from the date the removal decision takes effect.
- Article 37The article punishes a person who impersonates a lawyer or practices law contrary to the Law, and a removed lawyer who practices, with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of not less than SAR 30,000, or both.Amended
الباب الرابع: أحكام عامة وانتقاليةArticles 38–43
- Article 38The article lets Saudi lawyers and consultants licensed before the Law continue, provided they apply within 5 years to the Lawyers' Registration and Admission Committee, and lets the Minister extend the period up to a maximum of 5 years on conditions.
- Article 39The article lets non-Saudis licensed before Council of Ministers Resolution No. 116 of 1400 AH continue to practice consultancy only, on a temporary basis and on five conditions; the license ends if any condition is lost.
- Article 40The article requires a person licensed under Article 39 to work alone or in partnership with a Saudi lawyer, and bars him from engaging a non-Saudi lawyer, whether an individual or a firm.
- Article 41The article lets a licensed lawyer engage one or more non-Saudi legal or Sharia consultants under an employment contract and under his supervision, on four conditions including 5 years' experience and no pleading, with registration in a special register.Amended
- Article 42The article charges the Minister of Justice with issuing the Implementing Regulations of the Law of Legal Practice and publishing them in the Official Gazette, and with issuing the decisions needed to implement the Law.
- Article 43The article provides for publishing the Law of Legal Practice in the Official Gazette, for it to take effect 90 days after publication, and for the repeal of any provisions that conflict with it.
الباب الخامس: تنظيم الترخيص لمكتب المحاماة الأجنبي لمزاولة مهنة المحاماة في المملكةArticles 44–55
- Article 44The article defines a foreign law firm as a non-Saudi establishment licensed to practice law in another country, and prohibits it from practicing law in the Kingdom unless licensed under the Law and within the limits of that license.
- Article 45The article sets five conditions for licensing a foreign law firm: distinguished international reputation, 10 years since establishment, representation in 3 countries, two partners residing 180 days a year, and payment of fees.
- Article 46The article allows a foreign law firm to apply for a temporary license to provide legal consultancy for a specific project in the Kingdom, as an exception to the resident-partners condition, according to the Regulations' requirements.
- Article 47The article provides that applications to license and renew licenses of foreign law firms go to the committee referred to in Article 5, and that the license is issued by decision of the Minister of Justice on its recommendation.
- Article 48The article sets the license period of a foreign law firm at five years, renewable on the Article 45 conditions, with a fee of SAR 2,000 for issuance and SAR 1,000 for renewal.
- Article 49The article establishes at the Ministry of Justice a special register of licensed foreign law firms, including those with a temporary license, in which they are recorded after being licensed, with the Regulations specifying its contents.
- Article 50The article requires a licensed foreign law firm, except one with a temporary license, to adopt one of two forms before practicing: a professional company with a practicing Saudi lawyer, or a branch in the Kingdom.
- Article 51The article sets the scope of a foreign firm's work: a professional company may do all work of the profession with pleading limited to a practicing Saudi lawyer, while a branch is limited to five types of work.Amended
- Article 52The article obliges a licensed foreign law firm to meet localization ratios, transfer knowledge, train Saudi lawyers, provide consultancy through its own staff, and carry professional liability insurance, with details left to the Regulations.
- Article 53The article gives the Ministry of Justice the right to request data to verify the documents of foreign firm license applications and the compliance of licensed firms with the Law, and allows it to delegate other bodies as needed.
- Article 54The article lists seven cases in which a foreign law firm's license ends, including the firm's own request, expiry without renewal, failing to adopt a lawful form within 6 months, and ceasing work for more than a year.
- Article 55The article subjects a licensed foreign law firm to all provisions of the Law of Legal Practice, its Regulations and decisions where its chapter has no special provision, so far as this does not conflict with the nature and type of its license.
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