Article 42 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 42 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الثالث: رفع الدعوى وقيدها
The competent clerk registers the case on the day its statement of claim is submitted after recording the hearing date, and hands the original and copies to the process server or claimant for service by the next day at the latest.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يقيد الكاتب المختص الدعوى في يوم تقديم الصحيفة في السجل الخاص بذلك بعد أن يثبت - بحضور المدعي أو مَنْ يمثله - تاريخ الجلسة المحددة لنظرها في أصل الصحيفة، وصورها. وعليه في اليوم التالي على الأكثر أن يسلم أصل الصحيفة وصورها إلى المحضر أو المدعي - بحسب الأحوال – لتبليغها ورد الأصل إلى إدارة المحكمة.
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 42 explained in plain English
After the claimant files his statement of claim under Article 41, this article sets the steps for registering the case at the court and their time limits:
- Registration on the same day: the competent clerk registers the case on the day the statement is submitted, in the register kept for that purpose.
- Recording the hearing date: before registration the clerk records on the original statement and its copies the date of the hearing set for hearing the case, in the presence of the claimant or his representative, so the claimant knows the date from the start.
- Handing over for service: by the next day at the latest the clerk must hand the original statement and its copies to the process server or to the claimant, as the case may be, so they can be served, and the original is then returned to the court administration.
These short time limits aim to avoid delaying the case at its first stage. Article 43 then sets the period within which a copy of the statement must be delivered to the defendant.
Note that the article makes service either through the process server or through the claimant himself, as the case may be, without detailing when each applies, so the claimant should follow up with the court on who will handle service in his case.
Practical example
Saad submitted his statement of claim on Sunday, and the clerk registered it the same day after recording, in Saad's presence, the hearing date on the original and the copies. By Monday at the latest the clerk must hand the original and copies to the process server or to Saad, as the case may be, to serve the defendant, and then return the original to the court administration.
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 42 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
When is a case registered after the statement of claim is submitted?
The competent clerk registers it on the same day the statement is submitted, in the register kept for that purpose.
Must I be present when the hearing date is set?
The clerk records the hearing date on the original statement and its copies in the presence of the claimant or his representative.
Who handles serving the statement of claim?
The clerk hands the original statement and its copies to the process server or to the claimant, as the case may be, for service, by the next day at the latest.
More articles on Filing and Registering a Case
- Article 3
Article 3 requires a lawful, existing interest for any request or defense to be accepted, with a potential interest sufficient in two cases, and requires the court to reject a sham or malicious case.
1- لا يقبل أي طلب أو دفع لا تكون لصاحبه فيه مصلحة قائمة مشروعة، ومع ذلك تكفي المصلحة المحتملة إذا كان الغرض من الطلب الاحتياط لدفع ضرر محدق أو الاستيثاق لحق يخش
- Article 4
Article 4 provides that a hisbah case may be filed only through the public prosecutor after the King's approval, and is not heard after 60 days from the date the claimed right arose.
لا ترفع أي دعوى حسبة إلا عن طريق المدعي العام بعد موافقة الملك، ولا تسمع بعد مضي (ستين) يومًا من تاريخ نشوء الحق المدعى به.
- Article 10
The article bars transferring a case properly filed before a competent court to another court or body, or withdrawing it before judgment, and treats the case as filed from the date of its registration.
لا يجوز نقل أي قضية رفعت بطريقة صحيحة لمحكمة مختصة إلى محكمة أو جهة أخرى، ولا يحق لأحد سحبها منها قبل الحكم فيها، وتعد القضية مرفوعة من تاريخ قيدها في المحكمة.
- Article 41Amended (1440 AH)
Article 41 requires a case to be filed by a signed statement of claim with specified details, bars combining unrelated requests, and applies the rules of other labor disputes to collective labor disputes.
1- ترفع الدعوى من المدعي بصحيفة ـ موقعة منه أو ممن يمثله ـ تودع لدى المحكمة من أصل وصور بعدد المدعى عليهم. ويجب أن تشمل صحيفة الدعوى البيانات الآتية: أ - الاسم
- Article 43
The process server or claimant must deliver a copy of the statement of claim to the defendant within 15 days at most, or before the hearing if it is sooner, observing the appearance period.
يقوم المحضر أو المدعي ـ بحسب الأحوال ـ بتسليم صورة صحيفة الدعوى إلى المدعى عليه خلال خمسة عشر يومًا على الأكثرمن تسليمها إليه، إلا إذا كان قد حدد لنظر الدعوى جل
- Article 44
The article sets the appearance period at eight days before the general court and four days before the labor, commercial and personal status courts, and allows it to be shortened to 24 hours on conditions.
موعد الحضور أمام المحكمة العامة ثمانية أيام على الأقل من تاريخ تبليغ صحيفة الدعوى. وموعد الحضور أمام المحاكم العمالية والتجارية والأحوال الشخصية أربعة أيام على
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.