Article 102 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 102 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
If a party's evidence is in a place outside the court's jurisdiction, the court must delegate the judge of that place to hear and vet the evidence.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كانت بينة أحد الخصوم في مكان خارج عن نطاق اختصاص المحكمة، فعليها أن تستخلف القاضي الذي يقع ذلك المكان في نطاق اختصاصه لسماع تلك البينة وتعديلها.
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 102 explained in plain English
This article addresses a practical problem: a party's evidence, such as witnesses, may be in a distant place outside the jurisdiction of the court hearing the case.
In this situation the Law did not leave the matter to the court's choice but made it a duty, in the words "it must delegate"; that is, it must authorize the judge within whose jurisdiction that place falls to carry out:
- Hearing the evidence.
- Vetting it (ta'dil), that is, verifying the integrity of the witnesses and the acceptability of their testimony.
In this way a party's right to prove his case is not lost because of distance, and the witnesses are not required to travel to another city.
This article is linked to Article 101, which requires that facts to be proved be related to the case, material to it and admissible, so delegation is for proving facts that meet these conditions. It is followed by Article 103, which permits the court to withdraw from evidentiary procedures it has ordered provided it states its reasons in the record, and not to adopt the result of a procedure provided it states its reasons in its judgment. To learn how to request this in your case, a lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts can be consulted.
Practical example
Faisal filed a case in a court in Riyadh, and his witnesses live in Abha. Instead of requiring them to travel, the court delegates the competent judge in Abha to hear and vet their testimony.
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 102 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
What if my witnesses are in another city?
If the evidence is in a place outside the court's jurisdiction, the court must delegate the judge of that place to hear and vet it.
What does delegating a judge mean?
The court authorizes another judge within whose jurisdiction the place falls to hear and vet the evidence on its behalf.
More articles on Evidence Procedures
- Article 23
The article makes Arabic the official language of the courts, requires hearing non-Arabic speakers through an interpreter, and requires an approved translation from a licensed office for foreign-language papers.
اللغة العربية هي اللغة الرسمية للمحاكم؛ وتسمع المحكمة أقوال الخصوم والشهود ونحوهم من غير الناطقين باللغة العربية عن طريق مترجم، وتقدم ترجمة معتمدة من مكتب مرخص
- Article 67
If a defendant refuses to answer, or answers with something unrelated to the claim, the judge repeats the request for a proper answer three times in the same session; if the defendant persists, he treats them as refusing to answer after a warning.
إذا امتنع المدعى عليه عن الجواب كليًّا، أو أجاب بجواب غير ملاق للدعوى؛ كرر عليه القاضي طلب الجواب الصحيح ثلاثًا في الجلسة نفسها، فإذا أصر على ذلك عدّه ناكلًا بع
- Article 74
The presiding judge puts the questions to the parties, witnesses and others; members and parties may ask him to put their questions, and he may delegate this to a member.
رئيس الجلسة هو الذي يتولى توجيه الأسئلة إلى الخصوم والشهود وغيرهم ممن له صلة بالدعوى، ولأعضاء الدائرة المشتركين معه في الجلسة والخصوم أن يطلبوا منه توجيه ما يري
- Article 101
The article requires that facts to be proved during pleadings be related to the case, material to it, and admissible.
يجب أن تكون الوقائع المراد إثباتها أثناء المرافعة متعلقة بالدعوى منتجة فيها جائزًا قبولها.
- Article 103
The court may withdraw from evidentiary procedures it ordered, provided it states the reasons in the record, and may decline to adopt a procedure's result, provided it states the reasons in its judgment.
للمحكمة أن تعدل عما أمرت به من إجراءات الإثبات، بشرط أن تبين أسباب العدول في الضبط. ويجوز لها كذلك ألا تأخذ بنتيجة الإجراء، بشرط أن تبين أسباب ذلك في حكمها.
- Article 104
The court may question a party who is present, and any party may ask to question his opponent who is present; the answer is given in the same session unless the court grants time, and in the requester's presence.
للمحكمة أن تستجوب من يكون حاضرًا من الخصوم، ولكل منهم أن يطلب استجواب خصمه الحاضر، وتكون الإجابة في الجلسة نفسها إلا إذا رأت المحكمة إعطاء موعد للإجابة، كما تكو
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.