Article 149 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 149 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب التاسع: إجراءات الإثبات
The article allows the court, on its own or at a party's request, to order documents obtained from government bodies if the party cannot get them, or a third party to be brought in to produce documents in his possession.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للمحكمة - من تلقاء نفسها أو بناء على طلب أحد الخصوم عند الاقتضاء - أن تأمر بما يأتي:
1- جلب مستندات أو أوراق من الأجهزة الحكومية في المملكة أو صور مصدقة منها بما يفيد مطابقتها لأصلها إذا تعذر ذلك على الخصم، ويبين للمحكمة محتوى تلك المستندات إن أمكن ووجه انتفاعه بها.
2- إدخال الغير لإلزامه بتقديم مستندات أو أوراق تحت يده، وللمحكمة أن ترفض ذلك إذا كان لمن أحرزها مصلحة مشروعة في الامتناع عن عرضها.
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 149 explained in plain English
This article deals with a situation where a party needs a document to prove his right but cannot reach it because it is held by a government body or by another person.
Who requests: The court may order this on its own initiative or at the request of one of the parties, where needed.
First case: documents held by government bodies.
- The court may order documents or papers to be obtained from government bodies in the Kingdom, or certified copies of them stating that they match their originals.
- The condition: the party must be unable to obtain them.
- The party explains to the court the content of those documents if possible, and how he would benefit from them.
Second case: documents held by a third party.
- The court may order a third party, meaning a person who is not a party to the case, to be brought in to oblige him to produce documents or papers in his possession.
- The court may refuse this if the person holding the documents has a legitimate interest in refraining from showing them.
This provision is linked to Article 147, which gives a certified copy of an official paper the force of the original under its conditions, to Article 148, which regulates the claim to acknowledge an ordinary paper, and to Article 150, which regulates alleging forgery.
A person making such a request should, as the text indicates, explain the content of the document and its usefulness to his case as far as possible. A person may consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and court procedure to prepare this request.
Practical example
In a compensation claim in Riyadh, the claimant needed a document kept by a government body and could not obtain it himself, so he asked the court to obtain it and explained its content and how it helps him prove his claim. He also asked for a company that was not a party to the case to be brought in to oblige it to produce correspondence in its possession, and the court may refuse this if the company has a legitimate interest in refraining from showing it.
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 149 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Can the court ask a government body for a document in my favor?
Yes. It may order documents or certified copies of them to be obtained from government bodies in the Kingdom if you cannot obtain them, and you explain their content if possible and how you would benefit from them.
Can a person who is not a party to the case be required to produce a document?
The court may order a third party to be brought in to oblige him to produce documents in his possession, and it may refuse if he has a legitimate interest in refraining from showing them.
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.