Article 63 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
المادة 63 من نظام القضاء
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تنقضي الدعوى التأديبية باستقالة القاضي، ولا تأثير للدعوى التأديبية على الدعوى الجزائية أو المدنية الناشئة عن الواقعة نفسها.
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 63 explained in plain English
This article deals with two matters relating to the disciplinary case in which a judge is held to account in his post before the disciplinary circuit.
The first matter: the disciplinary case lapses on resignation. If the judge resigns, the disciplinary case filed against him lapses, so its hearing does not continue and no disciplinary judgment is issued in it, because the text makes resignation a ground for its lapsing.
The second matter: the independence of the disciplinary case from others. More than one case may arise from a single incident: a disciplinary case relating to breach of the duties of the post, a criminal case if the incident is a crime, and a civil case if it caused harm to someone. The article provides that the disciplinary case has no effect on the criminal or civil case arising from the same incident. Reading the two parts of the article together, the lapsing of the disciplinary case by resignation does not in itself mean that the criminal and civil cases over that incident come to an end.
This article comes among the provisions on the disciplinary case. Article 62 allows the disciplinary circuit, on deciding to proceed with the case and with the approval of the Supreme Judicial Council, to order the judge suspended from performing the work of his post until the trial ends, and Article 64 makes the sessions of the disciplinary case confidential and guarantees the judge the right of defense.
Anyone harmed by an incident attributed to a judge who wants to know his legal position is best advised to consult a lawyer specialized in criminal or civil cases, depending on the nature of the incident.
Practical example
A disciplinary case is filed against a judge over an incident in which he is alleged to have harmed one of the people who came to the court, and then the judge submits his resignation. Under this article, the disciplinary case lapses, but that does not affect the civil case that the harmed person may file over the same incident, nor the criminal case if the incident constitutes a crime.
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 63 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
Does a judge's disciplinary trial continue if he resigns?
No. Article 63 of the Law of the Judiciary provides that the disciplinary case lapses on the judge's resignation.
Does a judge's resignation drop the criminal or civil case over the same incident?
The article provides that the disciplinary case has no effect on the criminal or civil case arising from the same incident, so the lapsing it provides for concerns the disciplinary case.
Where is the disciplinary case against a judge heard?
It is heard by the disciplinary circuit, whose sessions are confidential and in which the judge's defense is heard under Article 64.
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 60
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.
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
- 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
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.