Article 116 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 116 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
The court may decide, on its own or at a party's request, to inspect the disputed thing by having it brought to court if possible, by going to it, or by assigning one of its members, stating the inspection date, and may delegate the court of the thing's location.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للمحكمة أن تقرر - من تلقاء نفسها أو بناء على طلب أحد الخصوم - معاينة المتنازع فيه بجلبه إلى المحكمة إن كان ذلك ممكنًا، أو بالانتقال إليه، أو تكليف أحد أعضائها لذلك، على أن يذكر في القرار الصادر بذلك موعد المعاينة، ولها أن تستخلف في المعاينة المحكمة التي يقع في نطاق اختصاصها الشيء المتنازع فيه، وفي هذه الحالة يبلغ قرار الاستخلاف القاضي المستخلف، على أن يتضمن هذا القرار جميع البيانات المتعلقة بالخصوم وموضع المعاينة وغير ذلك من البيانات اللازمة لتوضيح جوانب القضية.
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 116 explained in plain English
Inspection means that the court sees the disputed thing itself in order to verify its condition. This article regulates the inspection decision as follows:
Who requests it: the court decides on it on its own initiative or at the request of one of the parties; it is permitted to the court, not obligatory.
Means of inspection:
- Bringing the disputed thing to the court, if possible.
- Going to it.
- Assigning one of the court's members to do so.
The decision must state the date of the inspection.
Delegation: the court may delegate the court within whose jurisdiction the disputed thing is located to carry out the inspection. In that case the delegation decision is notified to the delegated judge, and it must include all details concerning the parties, the place of inspection and other details necessary to clarify aspects of the case.
This article comes after Article 115 on taking the oath in the presence of the person requesting it, and is followed by Article 117, which requires inviting the parties at least twenty-four hours before the set date, excluding travel time, and permits the court to take custody of the thing to be inspected. To request an inspection in your case in the proper form, a lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts can be consulted.
Practical example
Two neighbors in Riyadh disputed a dividing wall between their houses. One of them asked for an inspection, and the court decided to go to the site and stated the date of the inspection in its decision.
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 116 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Can I ask for an inspection of the disputed property?
Yes. The court decides on inspection on its own initiative or at the request of one of the parties.
What if the property is in another city?
The court may delegate the court within whose jurisdiction the disputed thing is located to carry out the inspection.
Must the inspection decision state its date?
Yes. The article provides that the decision issued for the inspection must state its date.
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.