Article 21 bis of the Saudi Law of Legal Practice
المادة 21 مكرر من نظام المحاماة · الباب الثاني: واجبات المحامين وحقوقهم
The Article requires every person licensed to practice law to obtain basic membership in the Saudi Bar Association within 90 days of obtaining the license.
Text of the added article (Arabic)
This article was added to the law by Royal Decree No. M/66 dated 15/7/1443 AH.
على كل مرخص له بمزاولة مهنة المحاماة الحصول على العضوية الأساسية للهيئة السعودية للمحامين وذلك خلال (تسعين) يوماً من حصوله على رخصة المحاماة
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 21 bis explained in plain English
This Article was added to the Law of Legal Practice by Royal Decree No. M/66 dated 15/7/1443 AH, and it ties the license to joining the Saudi Bar Association.
Elements of the rule:
- Who is bound? Every person licensed to practice the legal profession.
- What is required? Obtaining basic membership in the Saudi Bar Association.
- The deadline: within ninety days of the date he obtains the law license.
Basic membership is therefore not optional for the licensee, but a legal obligation tied to a specific deadline that runs from the date of obtaining the license. The Article does not state the conditions, fees or procedures of membership, and does not itself state the effect of missing the deadline, so these details are found with the Association and the provisions that regulate it.
The Article is connected to Article 21, which requires every lawyer to have one or more seats and to notify the Ministry of Justice of his address, and to Article 22, which regulates returning the client's documents when the agency ends; all of them are professional obligations resting on the lawyer.
If you are a newly licensed lawyer with a question about the membership requirements, it would be best to contact the Saudi Bar Association or consult a lawyer specializing in the laws regulating the legal profession.
Practical example
Youssef obtained his law license on the first day of Muharram. Under this Article he must obtain basic membership in the Saudi Bar Association within ninety days of that date, so he registers with it before the deadline expires.
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 21 bis of the Saudi Law of Legal Practice
Is membership in the Saudi Bar Association compulsory?
Yes. Every person licensed to practice law must obtain basic membership in the Saudi Bar Association.
What is the deadline to obtain Bar Association membership?
Ninety days from the date of obtaining the law license.
When was this Article added to the Law of Legal Practice?
It was added by Royal Decree No. M/66 dated 15/7/1443 AH.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. M/66 — 15/7/1443 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
- أُضيفت هذه المادة بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم (م/66) وتاريخ 1443/7/15هـ، بالنص الآتي: " على كل مرخص له بمزاولة مهنة المحاماة الحصول على العضوية الأساسية للهيئة السعودية للمحامين وذلك خلال (تسعين) يوماً من حصوله على رخصة المحاماة".
More articles on Conditions for Practicing Law
- Article 1
The 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.
يقصد بمهنة المحاماة في هذا النظام: الترافع عن الغير أمام المحاكم وديوان المظالم ، واللجان المشكلة بموجب الأنظمة والأوامر والقرارات لنظر القضايا الداخلة في اختصا
- Article 2
The 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.
تعد وزارة العدل جدولا عاما لقيد أسماء المحامين الممارسين، وآخر لغير الممارسين حسب وقت تاريخ التسجيل، ويجب أن يشتمل الجدولان على البيانات التي تحددها اللائحة الت
- Article 3Amended (1443 AH)
The 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.
يشترط فيمن يزاول مهنة المحاماة ، أن يكون اسمه مقيدا في جدول المحامين الممارسين، ويشترط فيمن يقيد اسمه بهذا الجدول ما يأتي : أ - أن يكون سعودي الجنسية، ويجوز لغي
- Article 4
The 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.
يستثنى من الفقرتين (ب،ج) من المادة الثالثة، من سبقت له ممارسة القضاء في المملكة لمدة لا تقل عن ثلاث سنوات.
- Article 5
The 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.
يقدم طلب القيد في الجدول وفق أنموذج تحدده اللائحة التنفيذية لهذا النظام، إلى لجنة قيد وقبول المحامين، وتؤلف من : 1 - وكيل من وزارة العدل يعينه وزير العدل رئيساً
- Article 6
The 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.
تنعقد اللجنة المنصوص عليها في المادة الخامسة، بحضور جميع أعضائها وتصدر قراراتها بالأغلبية، وعلى اللجنة أن تتحقق من توافر الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، وتب
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.