Article 67 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 67 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الخامس: إجراءات الجلسات ونظامها
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 بعد إنذاره، وأجرى في القضية المقتضى الشرعي.
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 67 explained in plain English
This article deals with a defendant who does not cooperate in answering the claim. It covers two situations:
- Complete refusal to answer: staying silent or refusing to respond altogether.
- An answer that does not meet the claim: replying with words unrelated to what the plaintiff alleges and that do not respond to it.
In both situations the judge follows set steps:
- He repeats the request to the defendant for a proper answer three times in the same session.
- If the defendant persists, the judge warns him.
- After the warning, he treats the defendant as having refused to answer (nukul), meaning abstaining from answering, and proceeds with the case in accordance with what Sharia requires.
The article does not spell out the consequences of refusal in each case; it refers to "what Sharia requires," which the judge determines. The practical meaning is that a defendant cannot stall the case by silence or evasion, because the judge goes ahead with the case once these steps have been completed.
This stage comes after the claim has been properly formulated as required by Article 66. A defendant who is unsure how to respond is best advised to consult a lawyer specializing in litigation and Sharia procedure before the session.
Practical example
Sarah filed a claim against a company in Jeddah for an agreed amount. The judge asked the company's representative about the claim, and he began talking about other matters unrelated to the amount. The judge repeated the request for a proper answer three times in the same session and then warned him. When he persisted, the judge treated him as having refused to answer and proceeded with the case in accordance with what Sharia requires.
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 67 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
What happens if the defendant refuses to respond in court?
The judge repeats the request for a proper answer three times in the same session. If the defendant persists, the judge treats him as refusing to answer after a warning and proceeds with the case in accordance with what Sharia requires.
What does an answer that does not meet the claim mean?
It is an answer that does not respond to what the plaintiff alleges. The article treats it the same as refusing to answer.
How many times does the judge ask for an answer before treating the defendant as refusing?
Three times in the same session, and then the defendant is warned before being treated as refusing to answer.
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.