Article 70 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 70 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الخامس: إجراءات الجلسات ونظامها
At any stage of the case the parties may ask to have what they agreed on, such as an admission or settlement, recorded in the case record, and the court must issue a deed to that effect.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للخصوم أن يطلبوا من المحكمة في أي حال تكون عليها الدعوى تدوين ما اتفقوا عليه من إقرار أو صلح أو غير ذلك في محضر الدعوى، وعلى المحكمة إصدار صك بذلك.
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 70 explained in plain English
This article opens the way for the parties to end their dispute, or part of it, by agreement, and gives that agreement official status.
The key points it sets out:
- At any stage of the case: the request is not limited to a particular time and can be made at any stage.
- What can be recorded: what the parties agree on, whether an admission, a settlement or otherwise.
- Where it is recorded: the case record.
- The court's duty: to issue a deed (sakk) for what has been recorded.
The practical benefit is that the agreement does not remain oral or a private paper between the two sides; it is entered in the case record and the court issues a deed for it. This ties in with Article 71, which explains how the court clerk records the pleadings under the judge's supervision, and how the judge, the clerk and those named sign it.
The article speaks of the "parties" asking to record what they "agreed" on, so it assumes an agreement exists between them. Anyone who wishes to draft a settlement that protects his right before it is recorded can consult a lawyer specializing in litigation and Sharia procedure.
Practical example
Majed sued his former partner in Makkah to recover an amount. At the second session they agreed that the partner would pay the amount in installments. They asked the court to record the settlement in the case record, and the court recorded it and issued a deed for it.
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 70 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
Can the parties settle while the case is being heard?
Yes. At any stage of the case, the parties may ask to have what they agreed on, such as a settlement, recorded in the case record.
Does the court issue a deed for a settlement?
Yes. The article states that the court must issue a deed for what the parties agreed on and had recorded in the record.
Is this limited to settlements?
No. It includes an admission, a settlement and anything else the parties agree on.
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.