Article 23 of the Saudi Shura Council Law
المادة 23 من نظام مجلس الشورى
Article 23 lets the Shura Council propose a new draft law or an amendment to a law in force and study it, with the Council's president submitting what the Council decides to the King.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
لمجلس الشورى اقتراح مشروع نظام جديد، أو اقتراح تعديل نظام نافذ، ودراسة ذلك في المجلس، وعلى رئيس مجلس الشورى رفع ما يقرره المجلس للملك
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 23 explained in plain English
This article gives the Shura Council the right to initiate proposals for laws, so its role is not limited to studying what is referred to it.
The article covers two forms:
- Proposing a new draft law.
- Proposing an amendment to a law in force.
The Council may study this proposal within itself. Then the president of the Shura Council must submit what the Council decides to the King, so submitting the decision is a duty of the president.
The article does not say which of the members may put forward the proposal, how many supporters are needed or the stages of study, so nothing should be assumed that the text does not contain.
The article was amended by Royal Order No. (A/198) dated 2/10/1424 AH to take its current wording.
It is preceded by Article 22, which regulates requesting the attendance of a government official at the Council's sessions when it discusses what concerns their competences, and followed by Article 24, which regulates requesting that the Council be provided with documents and data held by government bodies; both may help the Council when studying a proposal for a new law or an amendment to an existing law.
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 23 of the Saudi Shura Council Law
May the Shura Council propose new laws?
Yes. It may propose a new draft law or an amendment to a law in force and study it.
What happens after the Council decides on its proposal?
The president of the Shura Council must submit what the Council decides to the King.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. A/198 — 2/10/1424 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
تم تعديل هذه المادة بموجب الأمر الملكي رقم (أ/ 198) وتاريخ 2/ 10/ 1424هـ ، لتصبح بالنص الآتي:
( لمجلس الشورى اقتراح مشروع نظام جديد، أو اقتراح تعديل نظام نافذ، ودراسة ذلك في المجلس، وعلى رئيس مجلس الشورى رفع ما يقرره المجلس للملك ) .
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
لكل عشرة أعضاء في مجلس الشورى ، حق اقتراح مشروع نظام جديد، أو تعديل نظام نافذ، وعرضه على رئيس مجلس الشورى ، وعلى رئيس المجلس رفع الاقتراح إلى الملك.
More articles on Powers of the Shura Council
- Article 15
Article 15 has the Shura Council give its opinion on general State policies referred by the Prime Minister, and discuss the development plan, study laws and treaties, interpret laws and discuss ministries' reports.
يبدي مجلس الشورى الرأي في السياسات العامة للدولة التي تحال إليه من رئيس مجلس الوزراء، وله على وجه الخصوص ما يلي: أ - مناقشة الخطة العامة للتنمية الاقتصادية والا
- Article 18
Article 18 provides that laws, treaties, international agreements and concessions are issued and amended by royal decrees after the Shura Council has studied them.
تصدر الأنظمة، والمعاهدات، والاتفاقيات الدولية، والامتيازات، وتعدل، بموجب مراسيم ملكية بعد دراستها من مجلس الشورى.
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.