Article 5 of the Saudi Shura Council Law
المادة 5 من نظام مجلس الشورى
Article 5 lets a Shura Council member submit a request to be relieved of membership to the Council's president, who must present it to the King.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لعضو مجلس الشورى أن يقدم طلب إعفائه من عضوية المجلس إلى رئيس المجلس ، وعلى الرئيس أن يعرض ذلك على الملك.
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 regulates the case where a member wishes to leave membership of the Shura Council at their own request, which the text calls a "request for relief".
The article contains two provisions:
- The member's right: a member may submit a request to be relieved of membership, and the request is submitted to the president of the Council.
- The president's duty: the president of the Council must present the request to the King, so the president has no power to shelve or ignore the request.
The article states no conditions for the request, no period for deciding on it and no reasons that must be given, and it does not say that relief occurs automatically upon submitting the request; rather, it draws the path of the request: from the member to the president of the Council, then from the president to the King.
The request for relief regulated by this article differs from the case of Article 6: here the member themselves initiates the request to leave membership, whereas Article 6 deals with a member who breaches the duties of their work, who is investigated and tried under rules and procedures issued by royal order. It is preceded by Article 4, which sets the conditions of membership.
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 Shura Council Law
May a Shura Council member ask to be relieved of membership?
Yes. A member may submit a request to be relieved to the president of the Council.
What does the Council's president do with a relief request?
The president must present the request to the King.
More articles on Conditions for Shura Council Membership
- Article 4
Article 4 requires a Shura Council member to be a Saudi national by origin and upbringing, of recognized righteousness and competence, and not less than thirty years old.
يشترط في عضو مجلس الشورى ما يلي: أ - أن يكون سعودي الجنسية بالأصل والمنشأ. ب - أن يكون من المشهود لهم بالصلاح والكفاية. ج - ألا يقل عمره عن ثلاثين سنة.
- Article 7
Article 7 provides that if a Shura Council member's seat becomes vacant for any reason, the King chooses who replaces them and a royal order is issued to that effect.
إذا خلا محل أحد أعضاء مجلس الشورى لأي سبب، يختار الملك من يحل محله ويصدر بذلك أمر ملكي.
- Article 11
Article 11 requires the Shura Council's president, members and secretary general to take a set oath before the King before they begin their work in the Council.
يؤدي رئيس مجلس الشورى ، وأعضاء المجلس، والأمين العام، قبل أن يباشروا أعمالهم في المجلس، أمام الملك، القسم التالي: (أقسم بالله العظيم أن أكون مخلصا لديني، ثم لمل
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.