Article 21 of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law
المادة 21 من نظام محاكمة الوزراء
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يصدر قرار هيئة المحاكمة بأغلبية الأصوات. ولا تصح اجتماعات الهيئة إلا إذا حضرها جميع الأعضاء. فإذا قام عذر لدى أحد أعضاء الهيئة اختار مجلس الوزراء فورا عضوا آخر يحل محله.
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 21 explained in plain English
This article sets the rules for how the trial panel works and takes its decisions:
- Decision by majority: the panel's decision is issued by majority vote.
- Full attendance: the panel's meetings are valid only if all members attend; attendance of a majority is not enough.
- Replacement upon excuse: if one of the members has an excuse, the Council of Ministers immediately selects another member to take his place.
The text thus combines a requirement of full attendance for a meeting to be valid with a majority sufficing for the vote. The text does not state how the replacement member is selected.
It is preceded by Article 20 on the attendance of the accused, trial in absentia if he is absent, and his right to a representative with legal experience, and followed by Article 22, which 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.
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.
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 21 of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law
How is the ministers trial panel's ruling issued?
The panel's decision is issued by majority vote.
Is a panel meeting valid if one member is absent?
No. Its meetings are valid only if all members attend.
What happens if one of the members has an excuse?
The Council of Ministers immediately selects another member to replace him.
More articles on The Ministers Trial Body and Its Procedures
- Article 9
The 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.
الإجراءات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام واجبة الاتباع في جميع أدوار التحقيق والمحاكمة، وأي إخلال بها يجعل الحكم باطلا.
- Article 11
The 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.
يحدد رئيس مجلس الوزراء جلسة لمجلس الوزراء لمناقشة تقرير اللجنة خلال خمسة عشر يوما من تاريخ رفع التقرير إليه، وتكون المناقشة في غيبة المتهم. يتخذ مجلس الوزراء قر
- Article 15
The 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.
تتولى محاكمة الوزراء أو من في مرتبتهم وفقا لهذا النظام، هيئة تشكل من "ثلاثة وزراء" يختارهم مجلس الوزراء بطريق (القرعة) وعضوين شرعيين برتبة رئيس محكمة كبرى، على
- Article 16
The article provides that whoever the Prime Minister selects performs the duty of public prosecution in the trial of ministers.
يقوم بواجب الادعاء العام من يختاره رئيس مجلس الوزراء .
- Article 17
The Article provides that the chair of the trial panel chooses a secretary to keep and record the minutes of the sessions.
يختار رئيس هيئة المحاكمة أمين سر لضبط محاضر الجلسات وتدوينها.
- Article 18
The article allows the trial panel, if it finds a deficiency in the investigation, to complete it itself or through members it delegates.
لهيئة المحاكمة إذا رأت نقصا في التحقيق أن تستكمله بنفسها أو بمن تنتدبه من أعضائها لهذا الغرض.
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.