Article 14 of the Saudi Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances
المادة 14 من نظام المرافعات أمام ديوان المظالم · الباب الثالث: النظر في الدعوى والحكم فيها
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 يمكَّن الأطراف من الاطلاع عليها.
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 14 explained in plain English
This article protects the right of the parties to a case to know what is submitted in it, through two provisions.
The first provision: obtaining copies of the papers. Any party to the case may obtain copies of its papers and documents. One limit applies: if the presiding judge decides otherwise, it is for him to decide whether to deny copies.
The second provision: no reliance on what has not been seen. The court may not rely on any paper or document in the case unless the parties are allowed to see it. This provision is absolute and does not depend on the presiding judge's discretion.
The difference between the two provisions: The presiding judge may decide not to hand over a copy of a particular document, but that does not permit relying on the document without the parties being allowed to see it.
In practice, each party knows what is submitted against it and can respond to it, which is a basic guarantee of fair procedure. Anyone who believes a document was submitted in his case without his being allowed to see it may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases before the Board of Grievances.
Practical example
A government body submitted a memorandum and documents in a case Majed filed against it. Majed is entitled to obtain copies of them unless the presiding judge decides otherwise, and the court may not rely on any of these documents before he is allowed to see them.
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 14 of the Saudi Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances
Am I entitled to obtain copies of the case papers?
Yes. Any party to the case may obtain copies of its papers and documents unless the presiding judge decides otherwise.
Will the court rely on a document I have not seen?
No. No paper or document in the case may be relied on unless the parties are allowed to see it.
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 11
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.
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
- 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 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.