Article 11 of the Saudi Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances
المادة 11 من نظام المرافعات أمام ديوان المظالم · الباب الثالث: النظر في الدعوى والحكم فيها
The article allows, under a decision of the Administrative Judiciary Council, one of the circuit's judges to prepare the case, and the parties to exchange memoranda through a court specialist.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في سبيل نظر الدعوى يجوز - وفقاً لقرار يصدر من مجلس القضاء الإداري - الآتي :
1 - أن تعهد الدائرة إلى أحد قضاتها تحضير الدعوى وتهيئتها للمرافعة، وفقاً لما يلي:
أ - أن يعد القاضي - بعد إتمام التحضير - تقريراً عن الدعوى يحدد فيه الوقائع والمسائل التي تثيرها، ثم تُحدد جلسة لتنظر الدائرة في الدعوى.
ب - أن للقاضي تكليف أطراف الدعوى بتقديم مذكرات ومستندات تكميلية، واستدعاء ذوي الشأن لسؤالـهم عن الوقائع التي يرى لزوم تحقيقها، وإدخال وقبول تدخل من يصح اختصامه، وغير ذلك من الإجراءات اللازمة لتحضير الدعوى.
2 - تبادل المذكرات بين الأطراف عن طريق أحد المختصين في المحكمة.
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 11 explained in plain English
This article provides for two means of facilitating the hearing of the case, both permitted under a decision issued by the Administrative Judiciary Council, so the details of how they are applied are set by the Council's decisions.
The first means: preparing the case
The circuit may assign one of its judges to prepare the case and make it ready for pleading, as follows:
- After completing the preparation, the judge prepares a report setting out the facts and issues the case raises, and a session is then set for the circuit to hear the case.
- During preparation, the judge may require the parties to submit supplementary memoranda and documents, summon those concerned to question them about facts he considers need investigating, join or accept the intervention of anyone who may properly be made a party, and take other procedures necessary to prepare the case.
The second means: exchanging memoranda
Memoranda may be exchanged between the parties through a court specialist.
These provisions are consistent with Article 10, which makes pleadings written as a rule. Article 12 also refers to this article when it requires all of a circuit's judges to be present for its sessions to be valid, subject to what is stated here on preparing the case.
The parties must respond to the memoranda and documents the preparing judge requests, and may seek the help of a lawyer specializing in administrative cases before the Board of Grievances in doing so.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah filed a case against a government body over a contract. The circuit assigned one of its judges to prepare the case, and he asked both parties for supplementary memoranda and documents, then prepared a report on the facts and issues raised, after which a session was set for the circuit to hear the case.
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 11 of the Saudi Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances
What is meant by preparing the case in the administrative court?
That the circuit assigns one of its judges to make the case ready for pleading, so he collects the memoranda and documents and prepares a report on the facts and issues the case raises.
May the preparing judge join a new party to the case?
Yes. He may join, and accept the intervention of, anyone who may properly be made a party.
How do the parties exchange memoranda?
They may be exchanged through a court specialist, under a decision issued by the Administrative Judiciary Council.
More articles on Hearing the Case and Sessions in the Administrative Court
- Article 10
The article makes the procedures for hearing the case and the pleadings written as a rule, while allowing the circuit to hear statements and defenses orally and record in the session minutes what it sees fit.
تكون إجراءات نظر الدعوى والمرافعة فيها كتابية، على أنه يجوز للدائرة سماع الأقوال والدفوع مشافهة، وإثبات ما تراه من ذلك في محضر الجلسة .
- Article 12
Circuit sessions are valid only with all its judges present, and the prosecution representative in a disciplinary case. If the circuit is incomplete, the President of the Administrative Judiciary Council assigns someone to complete it for no more than 60 days.
مع مراعاة ما نصت عليه المادة (الحادية عشرة) من هذا النظام ؛ لا تصح جلسات الدائرة إلا بحضور جميع قضاتها، وممثل الادعاء في الدعوى التأديبية. فإن لم يكتمل تشكيل ال
- Article 13
The article gives the presiding judge authority to manage and control the session. He may order offensive wording struck, remove those who disrupt it and detain them for 24 hours or fine them up to SAR 1,000, and have a record made of offenses.
إدارة الجلسة وضبطها منوطان برئيسها، ولـه في سبيل ذلك اتخاذ أيِّ من الإجراءات الآتية: 1 - أن يأمر بمحو العبارات الجارحة، أو المخالفة للآداب، أو النظام العام، من
- Article 14
Any party to the case may obtain copies of its papers and documents unless the presiding judge decides otherwise, and no paper may be relied on unless the parties are allowed to see it.
لأيٍّ من أطراف الدعوى الحصول على صور من أوراق الدعوى ومستنداتها ما لم يرَ رئيس الجلسة خلاف ذلك، ولا يجوز التعويل على أيٍّ من أوراق الدعوى ومستنداتها ما لم يمكَّ
- Article 18
The circuit's secretary drafts the session minutes under its president's supervision, including the judges' names, the time and place, those present and the procedures, and the judges, secretary and parties sign them.
يحرر أمين سر الدائرة محضر الجلسة تحت إشراف رئيسها، على أن يبين فيه أسماء القضاة الذين حضروا الجلسة، وزمان انعقادها ومكانه، والحاضرين من أطراف الدعوى، وجميع الإج
- Article 19
If the court sees during the pleadings that supplementary investigation is necessary, it carries it out itself or assigns one of its judges to do so.
إن رأت المحكمة أثناء المرافعة ضرورة إجراء تحقيق تكميلي، باشرت ذلك بنفسها، أو كلفت من يقوم به من قضاتها.
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.