Article 141 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 141 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
Official papers may be challenged only by alleging forgery, unless they state something contrary to the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يقبل الطعن في الأوراق الرسمية إلا بادعاء التزوير، ما لم يكن مذكورًا فيها ما يخالف أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية.
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 141 explained in plain English
This article gives official papers a special strength as evidence, by restricting the way in which they can be challenged.
The rule: Official papers may be challenged only by alleging forgery. A person who wants to dispute an official paper is not entitled merely to deny it or say it is not correct; he must follow the route of alleging forgery.
The exception: If an official paper states something contrary to the provisions of Islamic Sharia, a challenge to it is not limited to alleging forgery.
An official paper, as Article 139 defines it, is one in which a public employee or a person assigned to a public service records what was done before him or what he received from the interested parties, in accordance with the legal formalities and within the limits of his authority and jurisdiction. Ordinary papers have other rules, among them the comparison procedure regulated by Article 142 where the person to whom the paper is attributed denies his handwriting, signature, thumbprint or seal.
Even so, the court retains its power to assess the effect of visible physical defects in a paper, such as scraping, erasure and interlineation, under Article 140.
The practical meaning is that an official paper carries strong evidential weight and that challenging it is a serious route with special procedures. Because alleging forgery has consequences, a person considering challenging an official paper would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and court procedure before doing so.
Practical example
In a claim in Riyadh, one of the heirs submitted an official paper issued by a competent government authority, and another heir objected to it by saying he did not trust it. This general objection is not enough, since an official paper may be challenged only by alleging forgery, unless it states something contrary to the provisions of Islamic 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 141 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
How do I challenge an official paper?
It may be challenged only by alleging forgery, unless it states something contrary to the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
Is it enough to deny an official paper in order to defeat it?
No. Official papers may be challenged only by alleging forgery, subject to the exception the text mentions.
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.