Article 60 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
المادة 60 من نظام القضاء
The article regulates filing the disciplinary case against a judge by the head of the judicial inspection department at the request of the president of the Supreme Judicial Council, after a criminal or administrative investigation, and the contents of the statement of claim.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يرفع رئيس إدارة التفتيش القضائي أو من ينيبه الدعوة التأديبية ـ أمام دائرة التأديب ـ بطلب من رئيس المجلس الأعلى للقضاء إما من تلقاء نفسه أو بناء على اقتراح رئيس المحكمة التي يتبعها القاضي. ولا يقدم هذا الطلب إلا بناء على تحقيق جزائي أو إداري يتولاه أحد القضاة بشرط ألا تقل درجته عن قاضي استئناف يندبه رئيس المجلس الأعلى للقضاء .
ويجب أن تشتمل صحيفة الدعوى على المخالفة والأدلة المؤيدة لها، وتصدر الدائرة قرارها بدعوة القاضي إلى الحضور أمامها.
ويجوز لدائرة التأديب ـ بعد موافقة المجلس الأعلى للقضاء ــ أن تجري ما تراه لازمًا من التحقيقات، ولها أن تكلف أحد أعضائها للقيام 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 60 explained in plain English
This article regulates the procedures for filing the disciplinary case against a judge before the disciplinary circuit, and contains several provisions:
1- Who files the case: it is filed by the head of the judicial inspection department or his delegate, at the request of the president of the Supreme Judicial Council. The president of the Council submits this request either:
- On his own initiative.
- Or on the proposal of the president of the court to which the judge belongs.
2- The prior investigation condition: the request to file the case is submitted only on the basis of a criminal or administrative investigation conducted by one of the judges, provided that his grade is not lower than appeal judge, and he is delegated by the president of the Supreme Judicial Council.
3- Contents of the statement of claim: it must include the violation and the evidence supporting it.
4- Summoning the judge: the circuit issues its decision summoning the judge to appear before it.
5- Additional investigations: the disciplinary circuit may, with the approval of the Supreme Judicial Council, conduct any investigations it considers necessary, and it may assign one of its members to do so.
These procedures are safeguards for the judge: the case is not filed except at the request of the president of the Council, after an investigation conducted by a judge of high grade, and with a statement setting out the violation and its evidence.
The circuit before which the case is filed is the one provided for in Article 59, formed in the Supreme Judicial Council of three of its full-time judge members. As for Article 61, it provides that if the circuit sees grounds to proceed with the case on all or some of the violations, the judge is summoned to appear at a suitable time, with a sufficient statement of the subject of the case and the evidence of the violation.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 60 of Law of the Judiciary?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
General Practice lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
General Practice lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office
Khalid Abdulrahman Al-Hajlah Law and Arbitration Office
Frequently asked questions about Article 60 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
Who files the disciplinary case against a judge?
The head of the judicial inspection department or his delegate, at the request of the president of the Supreme Judicial Council.
Is an investigation required before filing a disciplinary case?
Yes. The request is submitted only on the basis of a criminal or administrative investigation conducted by a judge whose grade is not lower than appeal judge, delegated by the president of the Council.
What must the statement of claim in a disciplinary case contain?
The violation and the evidence supporting it.
Can a court's president request that a judge be disciplined?
He can propose it to the president of the Supreme Judicial Council, who requests that the case be filed.
More articles on Judicial Discipline and Trial of Judges
- Article 4
Judges may not be sued over their official acts except under the conditions and rules for their discipline, without prejudice to Article 68.
مع عدم الإخلال بحكم المادة الثامنة والستين من هذا النظام، لا تجوز مخاصمة القضاة - بسبب أعمال وظيفتهم - إلا وفق الشروط والقواعد الخاصة بتأديبهم.
- Article 58
The article gives the president of each court the right to supervise its judges and to warn them of their violations after hearing their statements, and lets a judge object to a written warning within fifteen days.
مع عدم الإخلال بما للقضاء من حياد واستقلال، وبما للمجلس الأعلى للقضاء من حق الإشراف على المحاكم والقضاة وأعمالهم، يكون لرئيس كل محكمة حق الإشراف على قضاتها وحق
- Article 59
The article makes the disciplining of judges the jurisdiction of a circuit in the Supreme Judicial Council of three of its full-time judge members, whose decisions are issued by majority and are not final until the Council approves.
يكون تأديب القضاة من اختصاص دائرة تشكل في المجلس الأعلى للقضاء من ثلاثة من القضاة أعضاء المجلس المتفرغين، وتصدر قراراتها بالأغلبية، ولا تكون نهائية إلا بعد مواف
- Article 61
The article provides that if the disciplinary circuit sees grounds to proceed with the case, the judge is summoned to appear at a suitable time, with a sufficient statement of its subject and the evidence of the violation.
إذا رأت دائرة التأديب وجهًا للسير في إجراءات الدعوى عن جميع المخالفات أو بعضها، كلف القاضي، بالحضور في ميعاد مناسب، ويجب أن يشتمل التكليف بالحضور على بيان كاف ب
- Article 62
The article allows the disciplinary circuit, on deciding to proceed with the case and with the Supreme Judicial Council's approval, to suspend the judge from work until the trial ends, and to reconsider the suspension.
يجوز لدائرة التأديب ــ عند تقرير السير في إجراءات الدعوى ـ وبعد موافقة المجلس الأعلى للقضاء أن تأمر بوقف القاضي عن مباشرة أعمال وظيفته حتى تنتهي المحاكمة وللدائ
- Article 63
The article provides that the disciplinary case against a judge lapses on his resignation, and that the disciplinary case does not affect the criminal or civil case arising from the same incident.
تنقضي الدعوى التأديبية باستقالة القاضي، ولا تأثير للدعوى التأديبية على الدعوى الجزائية أو المدنية الناشئة عن الواقعة نفسها.
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.