Juvenile Cases Lawyers in Jeddah

Juvenile cases in Jeddah: a separate system with fundamentally different treatment

A person who commits a punishable act while under eighteen is not treated like an adult, whether in where they are held, how they are investigated, or the penalty itself. The Saudi Juveniles Law establishes an entirely separate track focused on reform and rehabilitation before anything else, and we represent families in Jeddah to make sure the juvenile is handled entirely under that track, not adult procedures.

Age is calculated by the Hijri calendar

A juvenile's age is calculated using the Hijri calendar at the time of the act, and this precise detail can make a real difference at borderline ages between Gregorian and Hijri calculation, which is why it is the first thing we verify in any file.

Under twelve: measures, not punishments

A juvenile who has not reached twelve years of age is not punished in the criminal sense at all; measures aimed purely at reform are applied instead: social supervision within the juvenile's natural environment for up to two years, specific obligations imposed for up to three years, or placement in a social or treatment institution for up to one year if the juvenile had reached twelve at the time of the act.

Twelve to fifteen years old

The same measures apply in this age band, graded by the severity and repetition of the act, without resorting to imprisonment in the adult sense, with reform within the juvenile's family environment remaining the priority wherever possible.

Fifteen to eighteen years old

Here the penalties prescribed for the act under the general system apply, except for imprisonment; imprisonment is replaced with placement in a social observation home for a period not exceeding half the maximum penalty prescribed for the act, without being bound by its minimum. Hadd and qisas provisions, however, remain fully applicable without impairment, since they involve both private and public rights that do not simply lapse because of age alone.

Special procedures that protect the juvenile

The law provides procedures that do not apply to adults: transferring the juvenile to the nearest social observation home instead of ordinary detention, hearing their statements in suitable locations where no nearby home exists, preparing a comprehensive social report on their family and psychological circumstances for the court before judgment, and, in some minor cases, allowing a charging decision without requiring a full statement of claim.

Transfer upon reaching eighteen

If proceedings or execution continue after the juvenile turns eighteen, the law sets out a mechanism for transferring them from the observation home to a facility suited to their new age, preserving continuity of the measure or sentence handed down.

Juveniles in internet and cyberbullying cases

Juvenile cases connected to cybercrime, such as cyberbullying or sharing inappropriate content through school groups, are increasing, and the same Juvenile Law procedures apply in terms of reform measures instead of traditional criminal punishment. A family whose child becomes involved in such incidents needs swift intervention that balances statutory handling with psychological and educational support for the juvenile, which we are careful to provide in coordination with specialists when needed.

Our services in juvenile cases

• Representing the juvenile and their family before the investigating authority and the competent juvenile court in Jeddah
• Ensuring the correct juvenile track is applied, not adult procedures, from the moment of arrest
• Preparing and reviewing the social report in coordination with the relevant authorities in the juvenile's favor
• Applications for conditional release and follow-up on the execution of ordered measures
• Appealing juvenile judgments before higher authorities

How we start

1. Contact us on WhatsApp immediately after the juvenile is arrested or summoned; the first hours shape the entire file
2. We verify the correct age calculation and the statutory track that must apply to their case
3. We represent the juvenile and their family through to the conclusion of proceedings, with full regard for their best interests

Juvenile cases require precise knowledge of a system entirely separate from adult criminal justice. To support your family in Jeddah, contact us on WhatsApp.

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