Article 99 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
المادة 99 من نظام المرافعات الشرعية · الباب الثامن: تنحي القضاة وردهم عن الحكم
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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.
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 99 explained in plain English
This article sets out the formal method of submitting a request for a judge's recusal. It is not enough for a party to object orally or in general terms; the request must meet the following:
- It must be submitted as a report.
- This report must be deposited with the court administration.
- It must be signed by the person requesting recusal.
- It must include the grounds for recusal.
- It must be accompanied by any supporting papers that exist.
The purpose is for the request to be clear, specific and supported by whatever documents are available, so that it can be examined seriously.
This article is linked to those before and after it: Article 98 sets when recusal may be requested and when the right to it is lost, including that it is not accepted after the pleadings close. Article 100 explains what happens after the report is deposited: the court administration immediately informs the judge of it, and within the four days following his being informed he must write to the president of the court about the facts of the recusal and its grounds.
A lawyer specializing in pleadings and litigation before the courts can help in stating the grounds precisely and attaching the appropriate documents.
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 99 of the Saudi Law of Sharia Procedure
How do I submit a request to recuse a judge?
By a report deposited with the court administration, signed by you, including the grounds for recusal and accompanied by any supporting papers.
Must I attach documents to a request to recuse a judge?
The article requires that the report be accompanied by any supporting papers that exist.
What happens after a recusal request is submitted?
Under Article 100, the court administration immediately informs the judge of the report, and he must write to the president of the court within the four days following his being informed.
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 95
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.
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
- 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
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.