A judgment has been issued, and maybe you didn't like it, or you believe the court misjudged your right. The next step isn't open forever — the Civil Procedure Law sets a strict deadline for both appeal and cassation, and missing it means the judgment becomes final and enforceable, even if it was genuinely wrong.
📜 The Appeal Deadline: 30 Days, No More
Article 187 of the Civil Procedure Law explicitly states the deadline and the harsh consequence of missing it:
"The period for objecting by way of appeal or review shall be thirty days, except for judgments issued in urgent matters, in which case it shall be ten days. If the objector does not file his objection within these periods, his right to appeal or request review shall lapse... and the judgment shall be deemed to have acquired finality."
In other words: if you do not file your objection memorandum within 30 days (or just 10 days for urgent matters) from the date you received the judgment deed, it will be recorded in your case file that the judgment has "acquired finality" — and there is no way to challenge it afterward through ordinary means.
⏱️ When Does This Deadline Actually Start?
Article 179 of the same Law clarifies the starting point: the deadline begins from the date you receive a copy of the judgment deed and sign for it in the record, or from the date set for receiving it if you did not appear. If you never appear at all, a copy of the judgment is deposited in the case file on that same date, and this deposit is counted as the start of the deadline — meaning avoiding receipt of the judgment does not stop the clock; it starts it automatically.
⚖️ Cassation Before the Supreme Court: Same Deadline, Narrower Conditions
If the Court of Appeal upholds the judgment or issues a new one, you have one final step: a cassation request before the Supreme Court. But its deadline is just as strict:
"The period for objecting by way of cassation shall be thirty days, except for judgments issued in urgent matters, in which case it shall be fifteen days. If the objector does not file his objection within these periods, his right to request cassation shall lapse."
But cassation is not a second appeal open for any reason — Article 193 limits its acceptable grounds to specific cases: violation of Islamic Sharia rulings and regulations, a judgment issued by a court not properly constituted, a judgment issued by a court or circuit lacking jurisdiction, or an error in characterizing or describing the facts. Objecting merely to the court's assessment of the facts, without these specific grounds, is not enough for a cassation request to be accepted.
Many people assume they have unlimited time to "think about" objecting to a judgment affecting their financial or labor rights. The legal reality is entirely different: once 30 days pass (or the shortened deadline in urgent cases), the door to ordinary appeal is permanently closed, and the judgment — correct or wrong — becomes enforceable against you.
✅ What Should You Do the Moment an Unfavorable Judgment Is Issued?
- Note the date you received the judgment deed immediately — this date is the starting point of your deadline, not the date the judgment was issued.
- Don't wait — consult a competent party within the first few days, as the deadline is far too short to postpone your decision.
- Check whether your case falls under "urgent matters," which shortens your deadline to just 10 or 15 days instead of 30.
- File your objection memorandum with the administration of the court that issued the judgment, clearly including the judgment number, its date, and the grounds for your objection.
- Use Sanad to quickly understand your legal position before your critical deadline expires.
- Civil Procedure Law, Royal Decree No. M/1 dated 22/1/1435H — Articles 179, 187, 193, and 194