Article 19 of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law

المادة 19 من نظام محاكمة الوزراء

The 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.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يعين رئيس هيئة المحاكمة موعد انعقادها للنظر في الموضوع خلال مدة لا تزيد عن ثلاثين يوما من تاريخ إعلان المتهم بصورة من قرار إحالته إلى المحاكمة. وعلى رئيس هيئة المحاكمة تكليف المدعي العام بإعلان المتهم بموعد المحاكمة ومكان انعقادها، وأسماء شهود الإثبات قبل موعد المحاكمة بثمانية أيام على الأقل.

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 19 explained in plain English

This article regulates the start of the trial and sets clear deadlines:

Sitting date: the president of the trial panel sets the date on which it sits to consider the case within no more than thirty days from the date the accused is served with a copy of the decision referring him to trial.
Notifying the accused: the president of the panel directs the public prosecutor to notify the accused of:
- the trial date;
- the place where it will be held;
- the names of the prosecution witnesses.
This must be done at least eight days before the trial date.

The purpose is for the accused to know in advance when and where he will be tried and who will testify against him, so that he can prepare his defense.

Article 20 completes this: it requires the sessions to be held in the presence of the accused; if he is absent, the session is postponed to a date no more than seven days after the postponement, which the public prosecutor notifies at his last place of residence in the Kingdom or at the Ministry of Interior headquarters if no fixed residence is known, and he is then tried in absentia. It also allows the accused to bring a representative with experience in legal matters.

This is a general explanation of the text, not an opinion on any particular case. Anyone who needs an assessment of a specific situation should consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and administrative cases.

Practical example

A minister accused is served with the referral decision at the beginning of the month. The president of the panel must set the trial date within thirty days of that date. If the date is set for day 20, the accused must be notified of the date, the place and the names of the prosecution witnesses no later than day 12.

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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