A judgment is not necessarily the end of the road: the law provides routes to object to it, but it binds them to fixed periods, and the right to object lapses when they expire. So the first question after receiving any judgment is: how much of the objection period is left, and when did it start? This page sets out the core periods as stated in the Law of Civil Procedure and as explained by the Najiz platform, as part of the Najiz guides on Hala Law.

The three objection routes

Objection is the general term for the routes of challenging judgments, and it covers three:

  • Appeal: generally lies against first-instance judgments, before the court of appeal.
  • Cassation: lies against a judgment issued or upheld by the court of appeal, before the Supreme Court. It is narrower in scope than an appeal and does not automatically suspend enforcement, except in the cases determined by the law or the court.
  • Petition for reconsideration: an extraordinary route against final judgments in defined cases, such as the emergence of decisive documents, proven forgery, material fraud, a ruling on something the parties did not request, or other cases provided for.

The core deadlines table

| Route | General period | Urgent matters | | --- | --- | --- | | Appeal | 30 days | 10 days | | Cassation | 30 days | 15 days | | Petition for reconsideration | Generally 30 days from learning of the ground or from notification, depending on the case | Depends on the ground of the petition |

The appeal period under the law is 30 days, and 10 days in urgent matters. The cassation period is 30 days, and 15 days in urgent matters. The petition for reconsideration generally runs 30 days from learning of the ground or from notification, depending on the case — because the ground itself, such as a decisive document surfacing or forgery being proven, is what sets the starting point.

When does the clock start?

This is where many deadlines are lost. Najiz explains that the objection must be filed within the objection period, and that the start of the period varies by judgment type and notification method:

| Judgment type | Period starts from | | --- | --- | | Issued in the party's presence | Delivery of the judgment | | In absentia | Successful notification |

So the first thing to check after a judgment is the delivery or notification details in the case file on Najiz — counting the period from the wrong date can mean filing the objection after the door has closed.

Two situations that extend the deadline

The law addresses two common situations:

  • Official holiday: if the last day of the period falls on an official holiday, the deadline extends to the first working day after it.
  • Residence outside the Kingdom: a person residing outside Saudi Arabia may have a statutory period added for some deadlines.

Both are exceptions, not the rule; relying on them without confirming they apply to the specific deadline is an unnecessary gamble.

Filing the objection on Najiz

The objection is filed electronically through the Objection to Judgment service on Najiz, from within the case file itself, by writing or attaching the objection memo with its supporting documents — and submitting the request before the period expires. If you are at an earlier stage of the litigation journey, see the guide to filing a case on Najiz.

Quick checklist after receiving a judgment

  • What type of judgment is it: first instance, appeal, final? That determines the available route.
  • Was it issued in your presence or in absentia? That determines when the period starts.
  • What is the delivery or successful-notification date as shown on Najiz?
  • Is the matter urgent? The period shortens to 10 days for appeal and 15 days for cassation.
  • Does the last day fall on an official holiday?
  • Is your place of residence outside the Kingdom?

Check the judgment and the notification details on Najiz; a different judgment type, or the matter being urgent, can change the result.

When do you need a licensed lawyer?

Objection deadlines are among the places where a mistake is irreversible: a period that lapses does not come back. The source material this page is built on states plainly that guides of this kind are no substitute for a lawyer where statutory deadlines or significant risks are involved. A licensed lawyer or accredited consultant is the fitting choice when:

  • There is ambiguity about the period's starting point — the delivery or notification date is disputed or unclear in the case records.
  • The case sits between the urgent and non-urgent characterizations, because the gap between 30 days and 10 days is decisive.
  • The available route is cassation or a petition for reconsideration, both narrower and more exacting than an appeal.
  • The objection needs to be paired with a request connected to suspending enforcement, since cassation does not suspend enforcement automatically except in the cases determined by the law or the court.

The information above is a general framework from official sources; computing the deadline in a specific case rests on the actual judgment and notification data in that case.