Article 10 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 10 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: أحكام عامة للزواج
The article gives a person who married under 18 with the court's permission capacity to litigate in everything relating to the marriage and its effects, provided he or she is of sound mind.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يكتسب من تزوج وفق حكم المادة (التاسعة) من هذا النظام أهلية التقاضي في كل ما له علاقة بالزواج وآثاره؛ إذا كان عاقلاً.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article addresses the position of a person who married while under 18 with the court's permission under Article 9, and gives him or her capacity to litigate, that is, the ability to bring cases and plead in them personally.
The limits of this capacity as the text sets them out:
- Who has it: a person who married under the provision of Article 9, male or female.
- Its scope: everything relating to the marriage and its effects; according to the text it does not extend to other matters.
- Its condition: that he or she is of sound mind.
The evident wisdom of this is that a person who married young acquires marital rights and bears marital duties, and needs to be able to claim them or defend them before the court without that depending on anyone else.
Article 9 recalls that the rule is that documenting the marriage contract of a person under 18 is prohibited, and that the court may permit the marriage if the person has reached puberty after verifying his or her interest. This article completes that provision by stating its effect on the judicial side.
If a person married with the court's permission before 18 and has a dispute relating to the marriage, he or she may litigate it personally as long as he or she is of sound mind. To assess the position in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status.
Practical example
A 17-year-old girl in Riyadh married with the court's permission, and a dispute then arose with her husband over her marital rights. She is entitled to bring the case relating to her marriage herself, as long as she is of sound mind.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 10 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
Can a married minor bring a case herself?
Yes. A person who married under the provision of Article 9 acquires capacity to litigate in everything relating to the marriage and its effects, if of sound mind.
Does this capacity cover all cases?
The text limits it to everything relating to the marriage and its effects.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Marriage Contract and Its Conditions
- Article 6
The article defines marriage as a contract with pillars and conditions that creates rights and duties between the spouses, aimed at chastity and founding a stable family.
الزواج عقد بأركان وشروط، يرتب حقوقاً وواجبات بين الزوجين، غايته الإحصان وإنشاء أسرة مستقرة يرعاها الزوجان بمودة ورحمة.
- Article 7
The article defines seclusion (khalwa) as the spouses being alone in a place where no person of discernment is with them.
الخلوة -في سبيل تطبيق هذا النظام- هي انفراد الزوجين في مكان ليس عندهما من يميِّز.
- Article 8
The article requires the marriage contract to be documented by the spouses or one of them, lets any interested person request proof of an undocumented marriage, and regulates documenting a non-Muslim's marriage.
1- يجب توثيق عقد الزواج، وعلى الزوجين -أو أحدهما- توثيقه، وذلك وفق الأحكام المنظمة لذلك. 2- يجوز لكل ذي مصلحة طلب إثبات عقد الزواج غير الموثق. 3- يوثق عقد زواج
- Article 9
The article bars documenting the marriage contract of a person under 18, and lets the court permit the marriage if the person has reached puberty and his or her interest is established.
يمنع توثيق عقد الزواج لمن هو دون (ثمانية عشر) عاماً، وللمحكمة أن تأذن بزواج من هو دون ذلك ذكراً كان أو أنثى إذا كان بالغاً بعد التحقق من مصلحته في هذا الزواج، و
- Article 11
The article lets the court permit the marriage of a person who is insane or mentally impaired at the request of his guardian, on condition of a medical report, the other party's acceptance and a proven interest.
للمحكمة أن تأذن بزواج المجنون أو المعتوه بناء على طلب ولي تزويجه، بعد توافر الشروط الآتية: 1- أن يقدم الولي تقريراً طبيًّا معتمداً عن حالة الجنون أو العته. 2- أ
- Article 12
The article sets the two pillars of the marriage contract: the spouses, who are a man and a woman, and offer and acceptance.
أركان عقد الزواج هي: 1- الزوجان، وهما: الرجل والمرأة. 2- الإيجاب والقبول.
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.