Article 37 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
المادة 37 من نظام حماية المبلغين والشهود والخبراء والضحايا
The article provides that the Law takes effect 120 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعمل بالنظام بعد مضي (120) يوماً من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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 37 explained in plain English
This article sets when the Law takes effect. It provides that the Law is in force 120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
This means the Law does not take effect as soon as it is issued or published, but only after this period has passed. The period runs specifically from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, not from the date the Law was issued.
It is linked to Article 36, which requires the Public Prosecution, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the Presidency of State Security, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority and the other relevant bodies, to prepare the Implementing Regulations within 120 days of the date the Law was issued, to be issued by decision of the Council of Ministers.
Note that the two articles use the same period (120 days) but the starting point differs: the period for preparing the Regulations runs from the date the Law was issued, while the date the Law takes effect is counted from the date of its publication.
The article does not state the publication date itself, so the Official Gazette must be consulted for the actual date the Law took effect.
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 37 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
When did the Whistleblower Protection Law take effect?
It takes effect 120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Does the Law apply from the date it was issued?
No. It takes effect 120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
More articles on Definitions and Scope of Protection
- Article 1
Defines the Law's key terms, including whistleblower, witness, expert, victim, protection, covered crimes, the program and the person covered by protection.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني الموضحة أمام كل منها: النظام: نظام حماية المبلِّغين والشهود والخبراء والضحايا. اللائحة: اللائح
- Article 33
The article provides that the Law's protection provisions do not affect any other measures or types of protection established for protected persons under any other law.
لا تخل الأحكام المتعلقة بالحماية المقررة في النظام بأي تدابير أو أنواع حماية أخرى تقررت للمشمولين بالحماية وفق أي نظام آخر.
- Article 34
The article provides that applying the Law does not affect the treaties and international agreements the Kingdom has committed to.
لا يخل تطبيق النظام بما التزمت به المملكة من معاهدات واتفاقيات دولية.
- Article 36
The article tasks the Public Prosecution, in coordination with the relevant bodies, with preparing the Regulations within 120 days of the Law's issuance, to be issued by Council of Ministers decision.
تقوم النيابة العامة -بالتنسيق مع وزارة العدل ووزارة الداخلية ورئاسة أمن الدولة وهيئة الرقابة ومكافحة الفساد والجهات الأخرى ذات العلاقة كلٌّ فيما يخصه- بإعداد ال
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.