Article 12 of the Saudi Anti-Corruption Authority Law

المادة 12 من نظام هيئة الرقابة ومكافحة الفساد · الباب الثاني: جهاز الهيئة ومهماته واختصاصاته

The article gives the work of members of the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Unit judicial status and complete independence; they are subject only to Sharia and the laws, no one may interfere in their work, and they may not be assigned other work.

Official text (Arabic)

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

تكون لأعمال أعضاء الوحدة الصفة القضائية، ويتمتعون بالاستقلال التام، ولا يخضعون في أعمالهم إلا لأحكام الشريعة الإسلامية والأنظمة ذات العلاقة، وليس لأحد التدخل في أعمالهم، ولا يجوز تكليفهم بغيرها.

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 12 explained in plain English

This article provides safeguards of independence for members of the Unit, meaning the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Unit. They are:

Judicial status: The work of members of the Unit has judicial status.
Complete independence: The members enjoy complete independence.
The reference: In their work they are subject only to the provisions of Islamic Sharia and the relevant laws.
No interference: No one may interfere in their work.
Full-time commitment: They may not be assigned work other than their own.

These safeguards are necessary because the Unit is competent for criminal investigation in corruption crimes and bringing criminal cases, as Article 11 provides; investigating corruption may reach people of influence, so the investigator must be secure from any pressure. Not assigning them other work preserves their full-time commitment and prevents their being occupied with tasks that might affect their impartiality.

The article connects to Article 11, which regulates the Unit's link to the President, its composition of circuits, the conditions of its members, and their appointment and end of service by royal order based on a decision of the Unit's council, and to Article 13, which provides that members of the Unit are treated in all their job affairs as members of the Public Prosecution are treated.

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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