Article 106 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 106 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
A party with an acceptable excuse is questioned at his place of residence by the judge or someone he appoints; if he is outside the court's jurisdiction, the judge delegates the court of his residence.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كان للخصم عذر مقبول يمنعه من الحضور بنفسه لاستجوابه ينتقل القاضي أو يكلف من يثق به إلى مكان إقامته لاستجوابه، وإذا كان المستجوب خارج نطاق اختصاص المحكمة فيستخلف القاضي في استجوابه محكمة مكان إقامته.
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 106 explained in plain English
This article takes into account the circumstances of a party whom the court has decided to question but who cannot attend in person, and sets two solutions depending on where he lives:
- If he has an acceptable excuse preventing him from attending in person: the judge goes to his place of residence to question him, or appoints someone he trusts to do so.
- If the person to be questioned is outside the court's jurisdiction: the judge delegates the court of his place of residence to question him.
Note that the condition in the first case is that the excuse be acceptable; a mere unwillingness to attend is not enough. The article does not specify the types of acceptable excuses, so their assessment remains for the court.
This article is linked to Article 105, which permits the court to order a party to attend for questioning and obliges him to attend the set session, and to Article 107, which explains that a person who fails to attend for questioning without an acceptable excuse or refuses to answer without justification, the court may hear the evidence and draw from it what it sees fit, and if he has no evidence the party is treated as refusing to answer (nakil). It is therefore important for a person with an excuse to inform the court of it promptly, and he can consult a lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts about it.
Practical example
A court in Riyadh ordered Abdullah to be questioned, but he is in hospital after surgery. Because he has an acceptable excuse, the judge or someone he trusts goes to his place of residence to question him, and if he lived outside the court's jurisdiction the court of his place of residence would be delegated.
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 106 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
What if I have an excuse that prevents me from attending questioning?
If the excuse is acceptable, the judge or someone he trusts goes to your place of residence to question you.
Can I be questioned in my city if I live far from the court?
If you are outside the court's jurisdiction, the judge delegates the court of your place of residence to question you.
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 102
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.
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.
- 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.
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.