Article 204 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 204 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الحادي عشر: طرق الاعتراض على الأحكام
The article bars a petition against a decision rejecting a petition or against the judgment issued after one is accepted, and allows another petition on Article 200 grounds not previously considered.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- القرار الذي يصـدر برفـض الالتمـاس، والحكم الذي يصدر في موضوع الدعوى بعد قبوله، لا يجوز الاعتراض على أيّ منهما بالتماس إعادة النظر.
2- لأي من الخصوم التماس إعادة النظر مرة أخرى لأسباب لم يسبق نظرها، مما هو منصوص عليه في المادة (المائتين) من هذا النظام.
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 204 explained in plain English
This article sets limits on repeating the petition for reconsideration, so that it does not become an endless route of challenge.
Paragraph (1) — what cannot be petitioned against: It is not permitted to object by a petition for reconsideration to either of:
- the decision rejecting the petition.
- the judgment issued on the merits of the case after the petition is accepted.
This does not mean that these two cannot be objected to at all: Article 203 allows objection by appeal or cassation, as the case may be, to judgments on the merits issued on the basis of the petition by a court other than the Supreme Court, and Article 202 allows objection to the non-acceptance of the petition under the procedures prescribed for objections unless the decision was issued by the Supreme Court. The bar here concerns only the route of a petition.
Paragraph (2) — petitioning again: Any of the parties may petition for reconsideration again, provided it is on grounds not previously considered, and that these grounds are among those stated in Article 200, such as the coming to light of forged papers, obtaining decisive papers that could not be produced before the judgment, or the opposing party's fraud.
What this means in practice: the same ground that was already considered cannot be raised again, but a new ground from among those specified by law opens the door to another petition. To assess whether a ground is really new, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in litigation and court procedure.
Practical example
Badr petitioned for reconsideration of a final judgment because he believed it awarded more than his opponent had requested, and his petition was rejected. He may not petition for reconsideration of the rejection decision. But if he later discovers that a document on which the judgment was based is forged, that is a ground not previously considered and stated in Article 200, so he may petition for reconsideration again.
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 204 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Can a decision rejecting a petition for reconsideration be petitioned against?
No. The decision rejecting the petition may not be objected to by a petition for reconsideration.
Can a petition for reconsideration be filed more than once?
Yes. Any of the parties may petition for reconsideration again on grounds not previously considered that are among those stated in Article 200.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Appeal, Cassation and Petition for Reconsideration
- Article 95
A judge's work or judgment is void in the situations of bar in Article 94 even if done by agreement of the parties; if the voidness occurs in an affirmed judgment, a party may ask the Supreme Court to set it aside.
يقع باطلًا عمل القاضي أو قضاؤه في الأحوال المتقدمة في المادة (الرابعة والتسعين) من هذا النظام ولو تم باتفاق الخصوم. وإن وقع هذا البطلان في حكم مؤيد جاز للخصم أن
- Article 165
The article requires the court, after pronouncing the judgment, to inform the litigants of the means of objection and their time limits, and to inform guardians, custodians, endowment administrators and representatives of government bodies that the judgment must be appealed or reviewed.
يجب على المحكمة - بعد النطق بالحكم - إفهام الخصوم بطرق الاعتراض المقررة ومواعيدها. كما يجب عليها إفهام الأولياء والأوصياء والنظار وممثلي الأجهزة الحكومية ونحوهم
- Article 170
The article allows the court to which an objection is submitted to order a stay of provisional enforcement if it considers that the grounds of the objection may lead to the judgment being quashed and serious harm is feared from enforcement.
يجوز للمحكمة المرفوع إليها الاعتراض - متى رأت أن أسباب الاعتراض على الحكم قد تقضي بنقضه - أن تأمر بوقف التنفيذ المعجل إذا كان يخشى منه وقوع ضرر جسيم.
- Article 172
The article distinguishes between a refusal to correct, which is objected to together with the judgment itself, and a correction decision, which may be objected to independently.
إذا رفضت المحكمة التصحيح فيكون الاعتراض على ذلك مع الاعتراض على الحكم نفسه. أما القرار الذي يصدر بالتصحيح فيجوز الاعتراض عليه على استقلال بطرق الاعتراض الجائزة.
- Article 176
The article specifies three means of objection to judgments: appeal, cassation and petition for reconsideration.
طرق الاعتراض على الأحكام هي الاستئناف، والنقض، والتماس إعادة النظر.
- Article 177
The article limits the right to object to a judgment to the party against whom it was given or one who was not awarded all his claims, unless the Law provides otherwise.
لا يجوز أن يعترض على الحكم إلا المحكوم عليه، أو من لم يقض له بكل طلباته، ما لم ينص النظام على غير ذلك.
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.