Article 5 of the Saudi Prisons and Detention Law
المادة 5 من نظام السجن والتوقيف
Prisons and detention facilities are subject to judicial, administrative, health and social inspection, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تخضع السجون ودور التوقيف للتفتيش القضائي والإداري والصحي والاجتماعي وذلك وفقا لأحكام اللائحة التنفيذية .
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 5 explained in plain English
This article establishes that prisons and detention facilities are not beyond oversight, but are subject to four types of inspection:
- Judicial inspection.
- Administrative inspection.
- Health inspection.
- Social inspection.
The article states that this is to be done in accordance with the Implementing Regulations; the Law does not specify which bodies carry out each type of inspection, or its timing or procedures, but leaves that to the regulations.
The importance of this article is that it places oversight of prisons and detention facilities on several fronts: a judicial front, an administrative front relating to organization and management, a health front, and a social front. This serves the purposes of the Law, including what Article (6) provides regarding the establishment of a Supreme Council of Prisons to study the development of prisons and detention facilities and make them more effective in rehabilitating convicts.
It is also linked to Article (4), which deals with special powers in the imprisonment of foreigners and in crimes affecting national security. Anyone who has a concern about the situation of a prisoner or detainee and wishes to know the appropriate way to raise it can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 5 of the Saudi Prisons and Detention Law
Are prisons in Saudi Arabia subject to inspection?
Yes. Prisons and detention facilities are subject to judicial, administrative, health and social inspection.
Who determines how prisons are inspected?
The article refers this to the provisions of the Implementing Regulations.
More articles on Prisons and Detention Houses and Their Oversight
- Article 1
The article provides that prison sentences are carried out in prisons, and anyone subject to a detention order from the competent authorities is placed in detention centers, under this Law and its Regulations, without prejudice to the rules on treating juveniles.
تنفذ عقوبات السجن في السجون، ويودع من يصدر بشأنه أمر توقيف من السلطات المختصة دور التوقيف وذلك وفقا لأحكام هذا النظام ولائحته التنفيذية. ومع عدم الإخلال بالقواع
- Article 2
The Minister of Interior establishes by decisions separate prisons and detention centers for men and women according to the needs of the Kingdom's regions, and the Regulations set the rules for their administration, guarding and safety.
تنشأ بقرارات من وزير الداخلية سجون للرجال وأخرى للنساء ودور توقيف للرجال وأخرى للنساء على أن يراعى في إنشائها الاستجابة لحاجات وحدات التقسيم الإداري للمملكة وتح
- Article 3
A General Directorate of Prisons affiliated with the Ministry of Interior supervises carrying out sentences and detention orders in the Kingdom's regions through its own bodies, as the Regulations determine.
يشرف على تنفيذ العقوبات وأوامر التوقيف مديرية عامة للسجون تتبع وزارة الداخلية وتمارس اختصاصاتها في المناطق المختلفة بالمملكة بواسطة أجهزة تابعة لها، وذلك طبقا ل
- Article 6
The Minister of Interior establishes by decision a Supreme Council of Prisons to study the development of prisons and detention facilities and propose ways to combat delinquency and repeat offending, choosing its members from different specializations.
ينشئ وزير الداخلية بقرار يصدره مجلسا أعلى للسجون تكون مهمته إجراء الدراسات الخاصة بتطوير دور السجن والتوقيف على نحو يحقق الهدف منها، ويجعلها أكثر فعالية في تقوي
- Article 30
The Minister of Interior issues the Implementing Regulations of the Prisons and Detention Law.
يصدر وزير الداخلية اللوائح التنفيذية لهذا النظام.
- Article 31
The Prisons and Detention Law takes effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
ينفذ هذا النظام من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.