Article 20 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
المادة 20 من نظام القضاء
The criminal court has circuits for retribution and hudud, discretionary (ta'zir) cases, and juvenile cases. Each circuit has three judges, except cases the Supreme Judicial Council specifies, which a single judge hears.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تؤلف المحكمة الجزائية من دوائر متخصصة هي:
أ - دوائر قضايا القصاص والحدود .
ب - دوائر القضايا التعزيرية .
ج - دوائر قضايا الأحداث .
وتشكل كل دائرة من ثلاثة قضاة، باستثناء القضايا التي يحددها المجلس الأعلى للقضاء فينظرها قاضٍ فرد.
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 20 explained in plain English
This article regulates the criminal court, one of the first-instance courts, and divides it into three types of specialized circuits:
- Circuits for retribution and hudud cases.
- Circuits for discretionary (ta'zir) cases.
- Circuits for juvenile cases.
This division means that a criminal case is heard by a specialized circuit according to its type. Juvenile cases, for example, have circuits of their own.
Composition: as a rule, each circuit is made up of three judges. The exception is cases that the Supreme Judicial Council specifies, which are heard by a single judge. The article does not say what these cases are, and leaves it to the Council to specify them.
This differs from the general courts regulated by Article 19, where each circuit consists of a single judge or three judges as the Council determines, without the text making either the rule. In the criminal court, three is the rule and a single judge is the exception.
The article does not say which crimes fall under each type of circuit, nor does it cover trial procedures; for these, refer to the Law of Criminal Procedure. Anyone who is a party to a criminal case should consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases.
Practical example
A young person under the age of majority is charged in a case in Dammam. Under this article, the criminal court has circuits specific to juvenile cases, and the circuit is made up of three judges, unless the case is one the Supreme Judicial Council specifies to be heard by a single judge.
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 20 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
What circuits does the criminal court have?
Circuits for retribution and hudud cases, circuits for discretionary (ta'zir) cases, and circuits for juvenile cases.
How many judges sit in a criminal court circuit?
Each circuit is made up of three judges, except cases the Supreme Judicial Council specifies, which a single judge hears.
Is there a circuit specific to juvenile cases?
Yes. The circuits of the criminal court include circuits for juvenile cases.
More articles on Types of Courts and Circuits
- Article 9
The article sets the composition of the courts: the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and general, criminal, personal status, commercial and labor first-instance courts.
تتكون المحاكم مما يلي: 1 - المحكمة العليا . 2 - محاكم الاستئناف . 3 - محاكم الدرجة الأولى ، وهي : أ - المحاكم العامة . ب - المحاكم الجزائية . ج - محاكم الأحوال
- Article 16
The article sets the circuits of the appeal courts: civil, criminal, personal status, commercial and labor.
دوائر محاكم الاستئناف هي : 1 - الدوائر الحقوقية 2 - الدوائر الجزائية 3 - دوائر الأحوال الشخصية 4 - الدوائر التجارية 5 - الدوائر العمالية .
- Article 18
First-instance courts are established in the regions, governorates and centers as needed.
تنشأ محاكم الدرجة الأولى في المناطق والمحافظات والمراكز بحسب الحاجة.
- Article 19
The general courts in the regions are made up of specialized circuits, including enforcement circuits, non-contentious proofs circuits and circuits for traffic accident and violation claims, each with a single judge or three judges.
تؤلف المحاكم العامة في المناطق من دوائر متخصصة، يكون من بينها دوائر للتنفيذ وللإثباتات الإنهائية وما في حكمها - الخارجة عن اختصاصات المحاكم الأخرى وكتابات العدل
- Article 21
The personal status court consists of one or more circuits, each made up of one or more judges as the Supreme Judicial Council determines, and specialized circuits may be included.
تؤلف محكمة الأحوال الشخصية من دائرة أو أكثر، وتكوًن كل دائرة من قاضٍ فرد أو أكثر، وفق ما يحدده المجلس الأعلى للقضاء . ويجوز أن يكون من بينها دوائر متخصصة بحسب ا
- Article 22
The commercial court and the labor court consist of specialized circuits, each made up of one or more judges as the Supreme Judicial Council determines.
تؤلف المحكمة التجارية والمحكمة العمالية من دوائر متخصصة، وتكون كل دائرة من قاضٍ فرد أو أكثر، وفق ما يحدده المجلس الأعلى للقضاء .
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.