Article 19 of the Saudi Precious Metals and Gemstones Law

This article makes available a supplementary penalty, which is publication, and its provisions are as follows:

• Permission: the judgment or decision imposing the penalty may, as the case may be, but need not, include an order to publish its operative part.
• Cost: the publication is at the violator's expense.
• Place of publication: in a local newspaper published in the violator's place of residence; if there is none, in the nearest region to him, or in any other suitable means.
• Standard of discretion: according to the type of violation, its gravity and its effect.
• Timing of publication: after the judgment becomes final, or the decision becomes unchallengeable because the time to appeal it has passed, or a final judgment is issued rejecting the appeal.

A judgment or decision that can still be challenged within the set period is therefore not published.

History of the text: the article was amended by Royal Decree No. M/110 dated 17/9/1440 AH; its text at that time permitted publishing a summary of the decision in a local newspaper or suitable means after it became unchallengeable or was upheld by the competent court. It was then amended by Royal Decree No. M/87 dated 3/4/1446 AH to the present text, which covers both the judgment and the decision and specifies the place of the newspaper, and it applies from 8/4/1447 AH.

The article connects to Article 20, which makes some violations the jurisdiction of the competent court and others the jurisdiction of a committee whose decisions may be challenged before the competent court, which is why the text says "judgment or decision". Anyone against whom a judgment or decision including publication has been issued may consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.