Article 64 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 64 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الخامس: إجراءات الجلسات ونظامها
The rule is that pleading is public, and the judge may hold it in private, on his own motion or at a litigant's request, to maintain order, observe public morals or protect family privacy.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تكون المرافعة علنية، إلا إذا رأى القاضي - من تلقاء نفسه أو بناء على طلب أحد الخصوم - إجراءها سرًّا محافظة على النظام، أو مراعاة للآداب العامة، أو لحرمة الأسرة.
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 64 explained in plain English
This article sets the principle of public pleading, which is one of the guarantees of justice because it makes litigation procedures visible and subject to public scrutiny.
The rule: pleading is public.
The exception: pleading may be held in private if the judge sees fit, for one of the following reasons:
- Maintaining order.
- Observing public morals.
- Protecting the privacy of the family.
Who requests privacy? The judge decides this on his own motion, or at the request of a litigant. Any litigant may request that the hearing be private, but the decision in the end is the judge's, according to whether he finds one of these reasons present.
The effect of this exception is clear in cases touching family privacy, where it may be in the interest that its details not be presented publicly.
The article speaks of pleading, and its text does not deal with the pronouncement of judgment or other stages. Anyone who wishes to request a private hearing in a family case can consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
In a marital dispute claim involving private family details, the wife asked for the pleading to be held in private. Under this article the judge may hold the pleading in private to protect family privacy, and the decision on that is his.
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 64 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Are court hearings public?
The rule is that pleading is public.
When is a hearing private?
If the judge sees fit to hold it in private to maintain order, observe public morals or protect family privacy.
Can I ask for a private hearing?
Yes. A litigant may request it, and the decision is the judge's.
More articles on Hearing Procedures
- Article 6
Article 6 requires a clerk to attend with the judge at hearings and in all case procedures to draft the record and sign it with him, and lets the judge do so himself if the clerk cannot attend.
يجب أن يحضر مع القاضي في الجلسات وفي جميـع إجراءات الدعوى كاتب يحرر محضر الجلسة ويوقعه مع القاضي، وإذا تعذرحضور الكاتب فللقاضي تولي الإجراء وتحرير المحضر.
- 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 48
If the court has set a hearing for two litigants and they appear at a time other than the one set and ask for their dispute to be heard, the court must grant their request if possible.
إذا عينت المحكمة جلسة لشخصين متداعيين، ثم حضرا في غير الوقت المعين وطلبا النظر في خصومتهما، فعليها أن تجيب هذا الطلب إن أمكن.
- Article 53
If it appears to the court that the agent asks for extensions too often on the pretext of consulting his principal in order to stall, it may require the principal himself or another agent.
إذا ظهر للمحكمة من أحد الوكلاء كثرة الاستمهالات بحجة سؤال موكله بقصد المماطلة، فلها حق طلب الموكل بنفسه لإتمام المرافعة أو توكيل وكيل آخر.
- Article 59
Someone who attends thirty minutes before the set end of the hearing is not considered absent if the hearing has not convened, and someone who attends while the hearing is still in session is considered present.
في تطبيق الأحكام السابقة، لا يعد غائبًا- والجلسة لم تنعقد- من حضر قبل الموعد المحدد لانتهاء الجلسة بثلاثين دقيقة، على أنه إذا حضر والجلسة لا زالت منعقدة فيعد حا
- Article 61
The number of judges required by law must attend the pleading hearings; if short, the court president assigns someone to complete it, and if that is not possible the president of the Supreme Judicial Council does.
يجب أن يحضر جلسات المرافعة في القضية العدد اللازم نظامًا من القضاة، فإن لم يتوافر العدد اللازم فيكلف رئيس المحكمة أحد قضاتها لإكمال النصاب، فإن تعذر ذلك فيكلف ر
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.