Article 71 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 71 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: النسب
A woman's acknowledgment does not establish a child's lineage to her current or former husband, except by the husband's acknowledgment under Article 69 or by evidence of birth within a valid or defective marriage.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كان المقِرُّ امرأة فلا يثبت نسب الولد من زوجها الحالي أو السابق إلا بإقراره وفق الشروط الواردة في المادة (التاسعة والستين) من هذا النظام، أو قامت البينة على أن الولادة كانت في عقد زواج صحيح أو فاسد.
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 71 explained in plain English
This article addresses the case of a woman's acknowledgment of a child, that is, where a woman admits that the child is her child. The article explains that her acknowledgment alone is not enough to establish the child's lineage to her husband, whether her current or former husband.
For the child's lineage to the husband to be established, one of two things is required:
- The husband's own acknowledgment, provided his acknowledgment meets the conditions in Article 69, including that he is an adult of sound mind and acting voluntarily, that the child's lineage is unknown, and that the relationship is proved by DNA testing.
- Or evidence that the birth was within a valid or defective marriage contract.
This article complements the provisions on lineage in Articles 67 and 69, and is also linked to Article 70, which regulates the court's order for DNA testing. Anyone with a similar case would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
A woman acknowledged before the court that a child of unknown lineage is her son from her former husband, but the former husband did not acknowledge this. The child's lineage to him is established only if evidence is presented that the birth was within a valid or defective marriage contract.
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 71 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
Is a child's lineage to the husband established by the wife's acknowledgment?
No. If the person acknowledging is a woman, the child's lineage to her husband is established only by his acknowledgment under the conditions of Article 69 or by evidence that the birth was within a valid or defective marriage contract.
Does the rule apply to a former husband?
Yes, the article refers to the current or former husband.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Lineage
- Article 24
The article permanently prohibits a man from marrying a woman against whom he performed li'an before the court, even if he later retracts his claim.
يحرم على التأبيد زواج الرجل من المرأة التي لاعنها أمام القضاء ولو أكذب نفسه.
- Article 34
The article provides that the court annuls a defective marriage, sets its effects before and after consummation, and applies its effects to a void marriage after consummation if the spouses did not know its ruling.
1- تفسخ المحكمة عقد الزواج الفاسد، ولا يترتب عليه أي أثر قبل الدخول إلا الطلاق إذا أوقعه الزوج فيقع بائناً بينونةً صغرى. 2- يترتب على الزواج الفاسد بعد الدخول م
- Article 67
A child's lineage to his father is established only by birth within a valid marriage contract, by acknowledgment or by evidence, and his lineage to his mother is established by proof of birth.
1- مع مراعاة حكم المادة (الرابعة والثلاثين) من هذا النظام، لا يثبت نسب الولد إلى أبيه إلا بالولادة في عقد زواج صحيح أو بالإقرار أو بالبينة. 2- يثبت نسب الولد إل
- Article 68
A child's lineage to his father is established if he is born during a valid marriage or after it ends before the maximum pregnancy period of 10 months passes, unless it is proved that the spouses could not have met.
1- يثبت نسب الولد إلى أبيه إذا ولد حال قيام عقد الزواج الصحيح أو بعد انتهائه قبل انقضاء مدة أكثر الحمل، ما لم يثبت عدم إمكان التلاقي بين الزوجين. 2- مدة أكثر ال
- Article 69
The article sets six conditions for establishing lineage by acknowledgment of paternity, even during a terminal illness, including that the child's lineage is unknown and the relationship is proved by DNA testing.
يشترط لثبوت النسب بالإقرار بالبنوة ولو في مرض الموت الآتي: 1- أن يكون المقر بالغاً عاقلاً مختاراً. 2- أن يكون الولد مجهول النسب. 3- أن يصدقه المقر له إن كان بال
- Article 70
The article allows the court to order DNA testing in exceptional cases, in a dispute over lineage or at the request of a competent body, provided the child's lineage is unknown and the age difference allows it.
للمحكمة في الأحوال الاستثنائية، أو عند التنازع في إثبات نسب الولد، أو بناءً على طلب جهة مختصة، أن تأمر بإجراء فحص الحمض النووي، وذلك وفق القواعد المنظمة لذلك، و
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.