Article 37 of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Establishments Law

This article regulates the violations committee and the way to challenge its decisions:

1. Composition: One or more committees are formed by decision of the Board, with no fewer than three members, at least one of whom is a legal adviser.

2. Jurisdiction (without prejudice to the Authority's power in Article 36):

• Hearing violations of the law and imposing the penalties in paragraph (1) of Article 35, which are a fine of up to SAR 5 million, temporary closure of up to 180 days, and license cancellation. Excluded are the violations covered by paragraph (2) of Article 35, that is, adulteration offenses and similar acts punishable by imprisonment.
• Hearing grievances submitted to the Authority against penalty decisions issued under Article 36.

3. Organization: The committee's rules of work, its procedures and its members' remuneration are set by decision of the Board.

4. Challenge: The committee's decisions may be challenged before the Administrative Court within 60 days from the date of learning of them. If the court cancels the penalty decision, it hears the violation itself and imposes the appropriate penalty from the penalties of Article 35.

So the path is: a fine from the Authority, then a grievance before the committee; or a violation heard by the committee in the first instance, then a challenge before the Administrative Court. It is followed by Article 38, which deals with referring violations under paragraph (2) of Article 35 to the Public Prosecution.

Because the challenge period is fixed at 60 days, a person who is the subject of a decision should consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases without delay.