Criminal Law
Major Criminal Court Law (Law No. 19 of 1986) — Provisions and Procedures Updated to 2026
This summary outlines the main provisions of the Major Criminal Court Law (Law No. 19 of 1986), updated through 2026, focusing on the court's jurisdiction over serious offences and the expedited trial procedures. It explains the court's composition, prosecutorial structure and procedural time limits while not replacing consultation of the official text.
Updated: 24 March 2026
Prepared and reviewed by: Ashraf Al-Khawaja
Scope of Jurisdiction and Covered Offences
The law assigns the Major Criminal Court jurisdiction over specified serious offences in the Penal Code — including murder, rape/sexual assault, criminal abduction and attempts of those offences — when committed within the Kingdom. In practice, this requires affected cases to be handled by that court, and practitioners should consult the cited Penal Code provisions to determine the precise scope of each offence.
Court Composition and Prosecution Structure
The court is established as a specialized tribunal within the Ministry of Justice staffed by a presiding judge of at least second rank and two judges of at least third rank. A dedicated prosecutorial body — headed by a public prosecutor with assistants and deputies as required — handles prosecutions, and the legal status of judges and prosecutors is aligned with that of regular judiciary. Practically, this prescribes a defined institutional composition while preserving applicable statutory protections and obligations.
Time Limits and Expedited Investigative/Trial Procedures
The law prescribes tight procedural deadlines intended to expedite cases: the public prosecutor must issue a decision to charge within seven days of closing the investigation and lodge it with the Attorney General within three days; the Attorney General must issue the charge and return the file within seven days, and the prosecutor must file the indictment with the court within three days thereafter. The court must commence hearing within ten days of case filing, hold consecutive sessions, and limit adjournments (adjournments generally not to exceed 48 hours unless justified). Prosecutors and judicial police are under an obligation to act urgently or face liability, and the court must render judgment within a short period after trial with one limited postponement allowed. Practically, these limits require tight coordination among police, prosecution and court to avoid undue delays.
Appeals, Transfers and Transitional Provisions
Appeal rules set fixed timeframes for cassation: appeals are to be filed within fifteen days from pronouncement or from notification depending on the case, while the head of public prosecutions has thirty days to appeal. Sentences of death or imprisonment of at least five years are subject to cassation even without the convicted person’s request, and the public prosecutor must transmit the case file to the Court of Cassation within fifteen days. The law also addresses transfer of cases and investigations that fell within the court’s competence after its enactment, permitting continuation from the prior stage or re-opening as circumstances require. Finally, it contains a supremacy clause cancelling conflicting provisions in other legislation to the extent of the conflict.
Legal notice
Notice: The information in this summary is for general educational purposes only; the original source is linked on the publication page. This summary does not substitute reading the official consolidated text nor consulting a licensed lawyer for tailored legal advice. Verify statutes, amendments and deadlines in the official legal texts.
Sources and references
Verify the official text and latest amendments before relying on this material professionally.