Article 75 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
المادة 75 من نظام القضاء
The article assigns the notary function to the town's court where the town has no notary office, with the powers and authority of a notary office within the court's territorial jurisdiction.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسند مهمة كتابة العدل - في البلد الذي ليس فيه كتابة عدل - إلى محكمة البلد. ويكون لها اختصاصات كتابة العدل وصلاحيتها في حدود اختصاص المحكمة المكاني.
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 75 explained in plain English
This article addresses the case of a town with no notary office, so that its residents are not deprived of notarization services.
The rule: In such a town, the notary function is assigned to the town's court, which then carries out what a notary office would carry out.
Scope of what the court handles: The court has the functions and authority of a notary office. Article 74 defines these functions as notarizing contracts and recording acknowledgments, apart from endowments and wills. So when the court performs this function, it exercises the same functions within the same limits.
Territorial limit: The court exercises these functions only within its territorial jurisdiction, that is, the geographic area for which it is competent.
This is connected to Article 74, which also allows some functions of notary offices to be entrusted to others under a regulation issued by decision of the Minister of Justice with the approval of the Supreme Judicial Council. Article 76 moves on to the conditions for appointment to the post of notary.
Because the court in this case exercises the functions of a notary office, a person who needs to notarize a contract in a town with no notary office goes to the town's court, within its territorial jurisdiction.
Practical example
Salem lives in a small town with no notary office and wants to notarize a contract. Under this article the town's court takes over the notary function, so he can notarize the contract there as long as the matter is within its territorial jurisdiction.
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 75 of the Saudi Law of the Judiciary
Where do I notarize a contract if my town has no notary office?
Article 75 provides that in a town with no notary office, the notary function is assigned to the town's court.
Does the court have all the powers of a notary office?
It has the functions and authority of a notary office, but only within the court's territorial jurisdiction.
Does the court notarize endowments and wills in place of the notary office?
The article gives the court the functions of a notary office, and under Article 74 those functions do not include endowments and wills.
More articles on Notaries Public
- Article 73Amended (1440 AH)
The article provides that notary offices are established, and their jurisdictions and composition determined, by decision of the Minister of Justice, and that the head of each notary office supervises its notaries.
يكون إنشاء كتابات العدل، وتحديد دوائر اختصاصها وتكوينها بقرار يصدره وزير العدل . ويشرف رئيس كل كتابة عدل على كتاب العدل التابعين لها.
- Article 74
The article makes notary offices competent to notarize contracts and record acknowledgments, except endowments and wills, and allows some of these functions to be entrusted to others under a regulation issued by the Minister of Justice.
تختص كتابات العدل بتوثيق العقود وضبط الإقرارات فيما عدا الأوقاف والوصايا ، ويجوز أن يعهد ببعض هذه الاختصاصات إلى الغير، وذلك وفق لائحة تصدر بقرار من وزير العدل
- Article 76
The article requires anyone appointed as a notary to meet the conditions in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of Article 31, which sets the conditions for taking up judicial office.
يشترط فيمن يعين على وظيفة كاتب عدل أن تتوافر فيه الشروط المنصوص عليها في الفقرات (أ)، و(ب) و(ج)، و(د)، و(و) من المادة الحادية والثلاثين من هذا النظام.
- Article 77
The article keeps in force the regulation issued by agreement between the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Civil Service on the qualifications for notary post grades, and lets them amend it in accordance with the Law.
يستمر العمل باللائحة الصادرة بالاتفاق بين وزير العدل ووزير الخدمة المدنية ، المتعلقة بتحديد مؤهلات شغل فئات وظائف كتاب العدل، ويجوز لهما تعديل ما يلزم منها وفقً
- Article 78
The article subjects notaries to all the provisions that apply to civil service employees, without prejudice to what the Law of the Judiciary provides.
مع عدم الإخلال بالأحكام المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، يخضع كتاب العدل لجميع الأحكام التي يخضع لها موظفو الخدمة المدنية.
- Article 79
The article subjects notaries to judicial inspection in accordance with the provisions of the Law of the Judiciary.
يخضع كتاب العدل للتفتيش القضائي، وفقا لأحكام هذا النظام.
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.