In force
Saudi Ministers Trial Law
نظام محاكمة الوزراء
Sets out the offenses and procedures for trying ministers for crimes committed in the course of their duties, including investigation, the trial body, judgments, appeals and royal pardon.
- Articles
- 27
- In force
- 27
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 1/1/1380 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم 88 بتاريخ 22 / 9 / 1380 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 508 بتاريخ 21 / 9 / 1380
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Ministers Trial Law by topic
Scope of the Ministers Trial Law2 articlesHigh Treason and State Security Crimes3 articlesAbuse of Influence and Office1 articleEffects of Conviction and Ancillary Penalties3 articlesInvestigating and Charging a Minister5 articlesThe Ministers Trial Body and Its Procedures11 articlesJudgments in Absentia, Appeal and Pardon5 articles
Articles of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law
- Article 1The article sets the scope of the Law: it applies to members of the Council of Ministers and employees appointed at the rank of minister who commit, in the course of their duties, a crime provided for in it.
- Article 2The article punishes those convicted under the Law with 25 years' imprisonment or death if they attempt to change the monarchy, commit high treason, endanger the State's security, or undermine the armed forces' loyalty.
- Article 3The article lists the acts that count as high treason, such as bearing arms against the State, helping the enemy, facilitating its entry, handing over facilities to it, and disclosing defense secrets to a foreign state.
- Article 4The article punishes with imprisonment of 5 to 10 years plotting with a foreign state to aggress, seeking to detach State territory, aiding enemy soldiers, and stealing documents related to State safety.
- Article 5The article punishes with imprisonment of 3 to 10 years influencing prices for personal gain, accepting a benefit, abusing influence, deliberately violating regulations, disclosing Council deliberations, and interfering in the judiciary.
- Article 6The article provides that conviction of a minister or someone of equivalent rank necessarily leads to dismissal and deprivation of public office, and of membership of boards of authorities, companies and institutions and any post in them.
- Article 7The article requires a sentence for the convicted person to return what he gained from his crime, and allows the trial panel to award compensation for harm to any natural or legal person.
- Article 8The article requires a death sentence to be unanimous for it to be carried out; if it is issued by majority, the case is referred to the judiciary to decide it.
- Article 9The article requires the procedures set out in the Law to be followed at all stages of investigation and trial, and makes any breach of them a ground for invalidating the judgment.
- Article 10The article requires the Prime Minister, when serious evidence arises, to form an investigation committee of two ministers and a Sharia member, which reports to him within thirty days of being assigned.
- Article 11The article requires the investigation committee's report to be put before the Council of Ministers within fifteen days and discussed in the accused's absence; if the Council decides on indictment, it forms the trial panel under Article 15.
- Article 12The article requires the Prime Minister, on indictment, to order the accused to be notified with a copy of the decision referring him to trial, with notification made in accordance with Article 20.
- Article 13The article allows the Council of Ministers, when referring the accused to trial, to order his detention until the first session, after which the trial panel may renew the detention if necessary.
- Article 14The article requires the accused to be suspended from work and his salaries stopped until his matter is decided, and provides that ending a minister's service does not prevent bringing or continuing the case.
- Article 15The Article provides that the panel trying ministers consists of three ministers chosen by the Council of Ministers by lot and two Sharia members, with no relatives of the accused, and is chaired by the oldest minister.
- Article 16The article provides that whoever the Prime Minister selects performs the duty of public prosecution in the trial of ministers.
- Article 17The Article provides that the chair of the trial panel chooses a secretary to keep and record the minutes of the sessions.
- Article 18The article allows the trial panel, if it finds a deficiency in the investigation, to complete it itself or through members it delegates.
- Article 19The article requires the president of the panel to set the sitting date within thirty days of notifying the accused of the referral decision, and to notify him of the date, place and prosecution witnesses at least eight days ahead.
- Article 20The article requires sessions to be held in the presence of the accused, postpones them by up to seven days if he is absent with notice to him, then allows trial in absentia, and gives him the right to a representative with legal experience.
- Article 21The article provides that the panel's decision is issued by majority vote, its meetings are valid only with all members present, and the Council of Ministers immediately selects a replacement for a member with an excuse.
- Article 22The article prohibits punishing the accused for an act not included in his referral decision, or sentencing him to anything other than the penalties and punishments in the Ministers Trial Law.
- Article 23The article provides for a retrial of a person convicted in absentia within thirty days of his appearance or arrest, and treats the judgment as one given in his presence if he flees or refuses to attend.
- Article 24The article makes the trial panel competent over all offenses related to the offense of the person it is trying and over the trial of principal perpetrators and accomplices, applying the Law's penalties to them.
- Article 25The article makes the trial panel's decisions final and enforceable from issuance and not open to objection, except as provided in Articles 8, 26 and 27.
- Article 26The article allows the convicted person to petition His Majesty the King for nullity of the judgment on the basis of Articles 9, 19, 20 and 22, and a retrial is required if the King accepts the challenge.
- Article 27The article gives His Majesty the King, in all cases, the right to issue a special pardon for those sentenced under the Law, or to reduce their penalty to the extent the pardon order states.