Article 111 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 111 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
A person who administers the oath to his opponent must state precisely the facts on which he wants him to swear; the court prepares the oath wording required by Sharia, and the oath of a person who cannot speak is accepted by his understood gesture if he cannot write.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على من يوجه إلى خصمه اليمين أن يبين بالدقة الوقائع التي يريد استحلافه عليها، وعلى المحكمة أن تعد صيغة اليمين اللازمة شرعًا، ويعد حلف الأخرس بإشارته المفهومة إن كان لا يعرف الكتابة.
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 111 explained in plain English
This article regulates the start of the procedures for the oath before the court, and contains three rulings:
- The duty of the person administering the oath: the party who asks to have his opponent swear must state precisely the facts on which he wants him to swear; a general, vague request is not enough.
- The duty of the court: the court prepares the oath wording required by Sharia; the parties are not left to draft it.
- The oath of a person who cannot speak: his swearing is accepted by his understood gesture if he cannot write.
Precision in specifying the facts achieves two things: the person swearing knows exactly what he is swearing to, and the oath is tied to what helps decide the dispute.
This article is linked to Article 110, which provides that an admission is not divisible against its maker, and to Article 112, which provides that the oath and refusal to take it are valid only before the judge of the case in the court session and have no weight outside it, unless there is a provision to the contrary. To determine the facts on which it would be wise to request an oath in your case, a lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts can be consulted.
Practical example
In a claim for the price of goods in Dammam, the plaintiff had no evidence, so he asked to have the defendant swear. He must specify the fact precisely, for example by asking him to swear that he did not receive the goods on a particular date, and then the court prepares the oath wording required by Sharia.
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 111 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Do I write the oath wording for my opponent?
No. The court prepares the oath wording required by Sharia, and you must state precisely the facts on which you want your opponent to swear.
How does a person who cannot speak swear in court?
His swearing is accepted by his understood gesture if he cannot write.
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.