Article 95 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 95 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الثامن: تنحي القضاة وردهم عن الحكم
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 يطلب من المحكمة العليا نقض الحكم وإعادة نظر الدعوى أمام دائرة أخرى.
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 95 explained in plain English
This article explains the consequence of a judge hearing a case despite one of the situations of bar in Article 94, such as his kinship to one of the parties to the fourth degree, his interest in the case, or his having previously given a fatwa or pleaded in it.
The first ruling - voidness:
- The judge's work or judgment in these situations is void.
- It is not cured by the agreement of the parties; even if the parties accept his hearing the case, his work remains void.
The second ruling - an affirmed judgment: if this voidness occurs in an affirmed judgment, a party may ask the Supreme Court to set the judgment aside and have the case heard again before another panel.
The text of the article does not set a deadline for submitting this request or its detailed procedures; to find out, the other provisions of the Law that regulate it should be consulted.
These situations of bar differ from the grounds for recusal in Article 96, on which a party may ask for the judge's recusal, and filing a recusal request stays the case until it is decided.
Anyone who believes a judgment in his case was issued by a judge barred from hearing it can consult a lawyer specializing in litigation and Sharia procedure.
Practical example
A judgment was issued against a company in Jeddah and was affirmed, then the company discovered that the judge who issued it had given testimony in the same case before hearing it. Under this article his judgment is void, and the company may ask the Supreme Court to set the judgment aside and have the case heard again before another panel.
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 95 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
What is the status of the judgment of a judge barred from hearing a case?
It is void in the situations in Article 94, even if done by agreement of the parties.
Is the judge's judgment valid if the parties agreed to his hearing the case despite the bar?
No. The article provides that voidness occurs even if this was done by agreement of the parties.
What do I do if the void judgment has been affirmed?
A party may ask the Supreme Court to set the judgment aside and have the case heard again before another panel.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Recusal and Withdrawal of Judges
- Article 7Amended (1442 AH)
Article 7 bars bailiffs, clerks and other court aides from performing work within their duties in cases concerning themselves, their spouses or their relatives or in-laws up to the fourth degree, on pain of voidness.
لايجوز للمحضرين ولا للكتبة وغيرهم من أعوان القضاء أن يباشروا عملاً يدخل في حدود وظائفهم في الدعاوى الخاصة بهم أو بأزواجهم أو بأقاربهم أو بأصهارهم حتى الدرجة الر
- Article 94
A judge is barred from hearing a case, even if no party asks, in specified situations such as relationship or marriage ties to the fourth degree, an existing dispute, agency, interest, and prior fatwa or involvement in the case.
يكون القاضي ممنوعًا من نظر الدعوى وسماعها ولو لم يطلب ذلك أحد الخصوم في الأحوال الآتية: أ - إذا كان زوجًا لأحد الخصوم أو كان قريبًا أو صهرًا له إلى الدرجة الراب
- Article 96
The article sets the grounds on which a judge may be recused from hearing a case, and provides that filing a recusal request stays the case until it is decided.
1- يجوز رد القاضي لأحد الأسباب الآتية: أ - إذا كان له أو لزوجته دعوى مماثلة للدعوى التي ينظرها. ب - إذا حدث له أو لزوجته خصومة مع أحد الخصوم أو مع زوجته بعد قيا
- Article 97
A judge may not refrain from deciding a case before him except where he is barred from hearing it or a ground for recusal exists, and he must inform his direct superior to be permitted to step aside and have it recorded.
لا يجوز للقاضي الامتناع من القضاء في قضية معروضة عليه، إلا إذا كان ممنوعًا من نظرها أو قام به سبب للرد. وعليه أن يخبر مرجعه المباشر للإذن له بالتنحي، ويثبت هذا
- Article 98
Article 98 permits a party to ask for a judge's recusal if a ground exists and he has not stepped aside, and sets when the request must be made and when the right is lost.
إذا قام بالقاضي سبب للرد ولم يتنح جاز للخصم طلب رده، فإن لم يكن سبب الرد من الأسباب المنصوص عليها في المادة (السادسة والتسعين) من هذا النظام، وجب تقديم طلب الرد
- Article 99
The article sets the form of a recusal request: a signed report deposited with the court administration, stating the grounds and accompanied by supporting papers.
يقدم طلب الرد بتقرير يودع في إدارة المحكمة موقعًا من طالب الرد، ويجب أن يشمل تقرير الرد أسبابه، وأن يرافقه ما يوجد من الأوراق المؤيدة له.
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.