Criminal defence9 min read
Qatar Criminal Procedure Code: what are your rights from arrest to judgment?
Faysel Al-MohannadiLawyer admitted before the Court of Cassation · Reviewed on
Short answer
Qatar's Criminal Procedure Code, Law No. 23 of 2004, governs a criminal case from the first report to judgment, appeal and execution. Key rules: an arrested person goes before the Public Prosecution within 24 hours, a lawyer may attend the investigation, release on bail is possible, and appeals take 15 days, cassation 60. The official text is on Al Meezan.
What does Qatar's Criminal Procedure Code govern?
The Criminal Procedure Code governs every step of a criminal case, from the first report to the execution of the sentence. It was issued by Law No. 23 of 2004 and has applied since 1 October 2004. Only the Public Prosecution can start and pursue a criminal case, except where the law says otherwise (Article 1).
| Book | What it covers | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| One | The criminal case, evidence-gathering, investigation, detention and release | 1 to 161 |
| Two | Trial, judgment and challenges | 162 to 322 |
| Three | Execution, lapse of penalties and rehabilitation | 323 to 396 |
| Four | Lost papers and counting time limits | 397 to 406 |
| Five | International judicial cooperation and extradition | 407 to 443 |
A person harmed by the offence may claim compensation during the investigation or before the criminal court (Article 19). For the case step by step, see how a criminal case moves in Qatar.
What are the key rules, and which articles set them?
The table sets out the rules people ask about most. The day of the notice or judgment is not counted, and a deadline ending on an official holiday moves to the next working day (Article 404).
| Topic | The rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | Before the prosecution within 24 hours if evidence is sufficient; questioned within 24 more hours, then released or detained | 43 |
| Rights on arrest | Told of the right to silence and to contact someone, told the reason and charge, and may seek a lawyer | 40, 113 |
| Pretrial detention | Four days by prosecution order, renewable once, for felonies and misdemeanours punishable by over six months, or any imprisonable misdemeanour if the accused has no fixed address in Qatar | 110, 117 |
| Extending detention | 30 days at a time by a judge; six months at most unless the accused is notified of referral or, in felonies, the criminal court extends; release is mandatory at half the maximum penalty | 117 |
| Appeal against detention | Within 24 hours | 157, 158 |
| Lawyer at the investigation | Attends every step and sees the file a day before questioning unless the prosecutor decides otherwise; in felonies, a named lawyer is invited before questioning except in flagrante or urgent cases; detainees may always contact the lawyer privately | 65, 101, 102, 116 |
| Lawyer at trial | Mandatory in felonies; the court appoints one if needed | 221 |
| Temporary release | By the prosecution, possibly against bail, which is refunded on a no-grounds order, acquittal or compliance | 119 to 122 |
| Objection | 7 days from personal notice of a judgment in absence; in felonies, from arrest unless notified personally earlier | 264 |
| Appeal | 15 days for the convicted person, 30 for the prosecution | 276 |
| Cassation | 60 days, grounds signed by a lawyer admitted before the Court of Cassation | 291 |
| Distance period | Plus 10 days outside the court's district, 60 outside Qatar | 405 |
| Complaint and withdrawal | Complaint within 30 days of learning of the offence and offender, unless the law says otherwise; withdrawal until final judgment | 7, 10 |
| Reconciliation | Contraventions, and misdemeanours where the law allows it | 17, 18 |
| Limitation | 10 years for felonies, 3 for misdemeanours, 1 for contraventions, from the offence | 14 |
| Lapse of penalty | 20 years for felonies (30 for death sentences), 5 for misdemeanours, 2 for contraventions, from final judgment | 375 |
| Rehabilitation | Automatic after 5 years (felony) or 3 (misdemeanour); by court after 2 or 1 | 379, 380 |
Each stage has its own guide:
What if a judgment is given in your absence?
If a duly summoned accused does not attend, the court decides in their absence. But the judgment counts as given in their presence if the summons reached them personally and they had no reason to stay away, or if they attended and then missed hearings without excuse (Articles 180 and 181). An objection to such a judgment is accepted only in narrow cases (Article 265).
- - An objection is lodged at the clerk's office of the court that gave the judgment, or through the detention facility (Article 266).
- - Missing a hearing without an acceptable excuse voids the objection (Article 267).
- - The court may uphold the judgment, set it aside and acquit, or reduce the penalty (Article 270).
Since 8 May 2026, Supreme Judicial Council Decision No. 9 of 2026 allows video and virtual hearings, criminal ones included, in circuits its president names. There, a judgment uploaded to the Council's system counts as pronounced, and challenges can be filed through the system within the usual deadlines (Articles 2, 15 and 16).
When does a case end by withdrawal, reconciliation or time?
A case ends with the accused's death, the passing of time, a final judgment, a general amnesty or repeal of the law (Article 13), and also by withdrawal or reconciliation where the law allows.
- - Complaint offences include harassment by phone or online, certain assaults, threats, defamation and insult, privacy breaches and bounced cheques. All complainants must withdraw, and heirs cannot withdraw (Articles 3 and 10).
- - Bounced cheques: reconciliation is allowed at any stage and stops execution even after a final judgment (Penal Code, Article 359).
- - Contraventions: paying the settlement amount within 15 days, or a higher amount later, ends the case (Article 17).
The limitation period depends on the offence. A felony carries death, life or over three years' imprisonment; a misdemeanour up to three years or a fine above QAR 1,000; a contravention a fine of up to QAR 1,000 (Penal Code, Articles 22 to 24). Investigation, charge, trial or evidence-gathering steps against the accused restart the period (Article 15). Time a convicted person spends outside Qatar pauses the penalty's lapse period (Article 377).
How does rehabilitation work?
Rehabilitation (رد الاعتبار) erases a conviction for the future, with its criminal effects (Article 392), but not other people's rights such as restitution and compensation (Article 393). There are two routes:
| Route | Condition | Period | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic | No new felony or misdemeanour sentence meanwhile | 5 years after a felony sentence is served, pardoned or lapses; 3 for a misdemeanour, or 5 for repeat offenders and lapsed penalties | 379 |
| By the court | Sentence served, pardoned or lapsed, and money owed under the judgment paid unless you cannot pay | 2 years for a felony, 1 for a misdemeanour, doubled for repeat offenders and lapsed penalties | 380, 383 |
1. Apply to the Public Prosecution with your details, judgment dates and addresses since release (Article 385).
2. The prosecution checks your conduct and sends the file to the criminal court within three months (Articles 381 and 386).
3. The court grants it if your conduct shows you have reformed. After a refusal for conduct, you can reapply in six months (Articles 388 and 390).
A suspended sentence is not a record that needs rehabilitation (Article 394). For good-conduct certificates, see our police clearance certificate guide.
Where can you read the official text, and what has changed?
The official Arabic text is on Al Meezan, the Ministry of Justice's legal portal, with its amendments and a scan of Official Gazette Issue 12 of 2004. English versions online are unofficial translations.
| Instrument | What it changed | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Law No. 24 of 2009 | Rules on executing community-service sentences | January 2010 |
| Law No. 6 of 2020 | Added Article 294 bis (cassation challenges screened in chambers) and Article 77 bis (undercover operations against money laundering and terrorism financing); amended international cooperation rules | 19 February 2020 |
| Supreme Judicial Council Decision No. 9 of 2026 | Video and virtual hearings, electronic judgments and challenges; the Code's text is unchanged | 8 May 2026 |
As of 19 October 2026, Al Meezan shows no change to the Code's text since 2020. Law No. 14 of 2024 amended the Penal Code, including the assault offences in Articles 308 and 309, which need a complaint.
The Council's Encyclopedia of Qatari Judgments and Judicial Principles publishes Court of Cassation and Court of Appeal rulings. Its e-services, reached through the National Authentication System (Tawtheeq), include criminal appeals, cassation challenges, objections, bail requests and case withdrawal.
When should you speak to a lawyer?
The Code's deadlines are short, so these situations are worth an early legal review:
- - You or a relative is arrested or detained: a detention order can be appealed only within 24 hours.
- - You are summoned for questioning as the accused, especially in a felony.
- - You are asked for bail, or face an alternative measure or a travel ban.
- - A judgment was given, or treated as given, in your absence.
- - You live outside Qatar and need the distance period worked out.
- - You are considering reconciliation or withdrawal and want to know its effect.
- - You are unsure whether your rehabilitation is automatic.
What the law says
This guide relies on the Criminal Procedure Code, Law No. 23 of 2004, as amended in 2009 and 2020, especially Articles 1, 3, 7, 10, 13 to 15, 17 to 19, 40, 43, 65, 101, 102, 110, 113, 116, 117, 119 to 122, 157, 158, 180, 181, 221, 264 to 270, 276, 291, 375 to 394, 404 and 405; on Articles 22 to 24 and 359 of the Penal Code; and on Supreme Judicial Council Decision No. 9 of 2026. Texts checked on Al Meezan on 19 October 2026.
Read on Al MeezanQuestions people ask
As a rule, four days by prosecution order, renewable once, then up to 30 days at a time by a judge. It cannot exceed six months unless the accused has been notified of referral to court (Article 117).
Yes. The accused and their lawyer may attend every investigation step, and in felonies an accused who has named a lawyer may not be questioned until that lawyer has been invited, except in flagrante or urgent cases (Articles 65 and 101).
Not on Al Meezan, which publishes the official Arabic text; its English view shows the articles in Arabic. English versions online are unofficial translations, so check the Arabic if they differ.
This guide is general information about Qatari law, not advice on your case.
Guides on this
All guides
Criminal defenceHow do you get a police clearance certificate in Qatar, and what can stop it?Qatar's Ministry of Interior issues it as the "good conduct certificate". Residents apply through the MOI e-services portal, the Metrash app or the Criminal Evidences and Information Department; former residents apply through a Qatari embassy. It states any final conviction, or undecided case, for a felony or misdemeanour, and is valid three months in Qatar and six abroad.9 min read
Criminal defenceHow does deportation from Qatar work, and can it be challenged?There are three routes. A criminal court can deport a foreigner after the sentence (Penal Code, Article 77). The Minister of Interior can order deportation for security, economic, health or moral reasons (Law No. 21 of 2015, Article 25). And anyone whose residence ends must leave. A court's order can be appealed; the administrative court cannot cancel the Minister's.9 min read
Criminal defenceHow do I check for, and lift, a travel ban in Qatar?You can check through the Ministry of Interior's e-services portal, whose "Travel Ban Inquiry" lists any ban circulars on your ID and the authority behind each. A ban is lifted by the authority that ordered it (the Public Prosecution, a criminal court or the enforcement judge), usually after payment, settlement, adequate security or a successful grievance.9 min read
Criminal defenceCarrying cash into or out of Qatar: when must you declare it?When entering or leaving Qatar, you must declare cash, bearer instruments such as cheques, and gold, precious metals or stones worth QAR 50,000 or more, or the equivalent, on the customs declaration form at the port. Not declaring, or declaring falsely, can mean up to three years in prison or a fine of at least QAR 100,000 (Article 80).7 min read
Criminal defenceUsing your bank account for someone else's money in Qatar: what are the legal risks?Money you can't explain passing through your account can expose you to prosecution in Qatar. Under Law No. 20 of 2019, moving or holding money you know comes from a crime is money laundering: up to 10 years in prison and a fine of at least QAR 2 million (Article 78). Knowledge can be inferred from the circumstances (Article 5).7 min read
Criminal defenceHow a criminal case moves in Qatar: from the police to the Court of CassationA criminal case in Qatar usually passes through six stages: police evidence-gathering, Public Prosecution investigation, charge and referral, trial at the Court of First Instance, appeal, and cassation. A convicted person has 15 days to appeal a judgment given in their presence (Article 276) and 60 days to challenge in cassation (Article 291), plus any distance period.7 min read
A question about a criminal case?
Tell us what stage the case has reached and the date of the last step or judgment, and ask about your situation.