Article 108 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 108 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
A party's admission, in questioning or without it, is binding only on him, and it must be made before the court while the case concerning the admitted fact is in progress.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إقرار الخصم - عند الاستجواب أو دون استجوابه - حجة قاصـرة عليه، ويجب أن يكون الإقرار حاصلًا أمام القضاء أثناء السير في الدعوى المتعلقة بالواقعة المقر بها.
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 108 explained in plain English
An admission is a person's acknowledgment of a right owed by him to another. This article sets two basic rulings on admission in a case:
- Its weight is limited to the person admitting: the admission binds only the person who made it, and its effect does not extend to others. This is so whether the admission is made in questioning or without questioning.
- A condition as to place and time: the admission must be made before the court, and while the case concerning the admitted fact is in progress.
This means that the admission this article addresses is the one made in the court's session and in the same case that concerns the fact. The article does not address the ruling on an admission made outside that, so its rules should not be inferred from it.
This article is linked to Article 107, which explains the effect of a party failing to attend questioning or refusing to answer without justification, and to Article 109, which requires for the validity of an admission that the person be of sound mind, an adult, acting by choice, and not under interdiction. Because an admission before the judge may decide the case against the person making it, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts before the sessions.
Practical example
In a claim for a debt in Riyadh, Majed admitted before the judge, while the case was being heard, that he had borrowed the amount. This admission is binding on him, and its effect does not extend to his partner, who admitted nothing.
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 108 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Does my admission before the judge bind me?
Yes. A party's admission is binding only on him, whether made in questioning or without it.
Does one person's admission extend to others?
No. The article provides that an admission is binding only on the person admitting.
What are the conditions for admission under this article?
That it be made before the court while the case concerning the admitted fact is in progress.
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.