Article 24 of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law
المادة 24 من نظام محاكمة الوزراء
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تختص هيئة المحاكمة بالنظر في جميع الجرائم المرتبطة بجريمة من تقوم بمحاكمته، كما تختص بمحاكمة الفاعلين الأصليين والشركاء، وتطبق عليهم العقوبات المقررة في هذا النظام.
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 24 explained in plain English
This article widens the trial panel's jurisdiction in two respects:
- Related offenses: the panel considers all offenses related to the offense of the person it is trying, so the case is not split among different bodies.
- Persons: it is competent to try principal perpetrators and accomplices, that is, those who committed the offense and those who took part in it.
The panel applies to all of these the penalties set out in the Ministers Trial Law. This means that a person who took part with the minister in an offense covered by the Law may be tried before the same panel and punished with the Law's penalties, even if he is not a minister. The text does not define what is meant by relatedness or by an accomplice.
It is preceded by Article 23 on the retrial after a conviction in absentia, and followed by Article 25, which makes the trial panel's decisions final from the moment they are issued and not open to objection, except as provided in Articles 8, 26 and 27.
Anyone alleged to have taken part with a minister in an offense should consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A businessman in Riyadh gave a benefit to a minister in return for facilitating his company's obtaining an advantage from a government entity. If the minister is referred to trial, then under Article 24 the trial panel is also competent to try the businessman as an accomplice, and applies to him the penalties set out in the Ministers Trial Law.
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 24 of the Saudi Ministers Trial Law
Is a minister's accomplice tried before the ministers trial panel?
Yes. The panel is competent to try principal perpetrators and accomplices and applies to them the penalties set out in the Law.
Does the panel consider other offenses related to the minister's offense?
Yes. It is competent to consider all offenses related to the offense of the person it is trying.
More articles on Scope of the Ministers Trial Law
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.