Article 15 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 15 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
Article 15 requires center heads, police stations, neighborhood heads and tribal identifiers to assist the bailiff in carrying out his task, within their jurisdiction.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على رؤساء المراكز ومراكز الشرطة وعمد الأحياء ومعرفي القبائل أن يساعدوا المحضر على أداء مهمته في حدود الاختصاص.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article establishes a duty of cooperation on a number of local bodies to enable the bailiff to complete notices, namely:
- Center heads.
- Police stations.
- Neighborhood heads (umdas).
- Tribal identifiers.
These bodies must assist the bailiff in performing his task, but this is within their jurisdiction; that is, each body assists within the scope that falls within its competence.
The importance of this article appears when it is read with Article 14, which makes these same bodies the ones to which the notice copy is delivered if the person to be notified or someone standing in for him is not found, or the person found refuses to receive it, or is a minor, taking their signature on the original acknowledging receipt. These bodies are therefore part of the notification system and not an external party to it.
It is also connected to Article 16, which provides that a notice is valid once it is delivered to the person to whom it is addressed even if not at his place of residence or work; the assistance of these bodies may make it easier to reach the person himself.
The article does not specify in detail the forms of assistance required; it is content to state the duty and its limits.
Anyone with a question about how he is being served in a particular case should consult a lawyer specializing in procedure and litigation.
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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Albrahim Law Firm
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Frequently asked questions about Article 15 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Which bodies are required to assist the bailiff?
Center heads, police stations, neighborhood heads and tribal identifiers.
Is these bodies' assistance to the bailiff unlimited?
No. The assistance is within the jurisdiction of each body.
What is the neighborhood head's connection to court notices?
The neighborhood head is among the bodies that must assist the bailiff, and he is also among the bodies to which the notice copy may be delivered under Article 14.
More articles on Notification and Deadlines
- Article 1
Article 1 provides that courts apply Sharia rulings as indicated by the Quran and the Sunnah and the regulations issued by the ruler that do not conflict with them, and follow the Law of Sharia Procedure in procedures.
تطبق المحاكم على القضايا المعروضة أمامها أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية، وفقًا لما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة، وما يصدره ولي الأمر من أنظمة لا تتعارض مع الكتاب والسنة، وتتق
- Article 2
Article 2 provides that every procedural step validly completed under a law in force remains valid, unless the Law of Sharia Procedure provides otherwise.
كل إجراء من إجراءات المرافعات تم صحيحًا في ظل نظام معمول به يبقى صحيحًا، ما لم ينص على غير ذلك في هذا النظام.
- Article 5
Article 5 provides that a procedure is void if the Law says so or if a defect defeats its purpose, but voidness is not ruled where the procedure's purpose was achieved despite an express provision.
يكون الإجراء باطلًا إذا نص النظام على بطلانه، أو شابه عيب تخلّف بسببه الغرض من الإجراء، ولا يحكم بالبطلان - برغم النص عليه - إذا ثبت تحقق الغاية من الإجراء.
- Article 7Amended (1442 AH)
Article 7 bars bailiffs, clerks and other court aides from performing work within their duties in cases concerning themselves, their spouses or their relatives or in-laws up to the fourth degree, on pain of voidness.
لايجوز للمحضرين ولا للكتبة وغيرهم من أعوان القضاء أن يباشروا عملاً يدخل في حدود وظائفهم في الدعاوى الخاصة بهم أو بأزواجهم أو بأقاربهم أو بأصهارهم حتى الدرجة الر
- Article 8
Article 8 provides that the periods and time limits in the Law of Sharia Procedure are calculated by the Umm al-Qura calendar, and that sunset ends each day.
تحسب المدد والمواعيد المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام حسب تقويم أم القرى. ويعد غروب شمس كل يوم نهايته.
- Article 9
Article 9 defines a person's place of residence as where he habitually lives (with special rules for nomadic Bedouins, detainees and prisoners), allows choosing a special place to receive notices, and requires telling the court of any change.
يقصد بمكان الإقامة في تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام المكان الذي يقطنه الشخص على وجه الاعتياد. وبالنسبة إلى البدو الرحل يعد مكان إقامة الشخص المكان الذي يقطنه عند إقامة
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.