Diplomatic and Consular Immunity from Criminal Jurisdiction in Saudi Arabia

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3 * Diplomatic and Consular Immunity from Criminal Jurisdiction in Saudi Arabia *

4 Abstract In order for members of a diplomatic mission or consular post to be able to perform their functions, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 have granted them certain immunities and privileges. Chief among these immunities is the immunity from criminal jurisdiction, which constrains the ability of the receiving state to take any coercive actions against members of a foreign diplomatic mission or consular post or subject them to its criminal jurisdiction. Although Saudi Arabia has joined the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, it has not yet adopted a national legislation that for investigating, prosecuting and trying criminal offences can resort to in the event that a member of diplomatic mission or consular post is involved in the commission of a criminal offence. Hence, this paper seeks to identify the scope of immunity from criminal jurisdiction under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, persons who entitled to it and the means by which their abuse can be remedied. In addition this paper argues that the best way for respecting immunity from criminal jurisdiction at the national level is the adoption of a national legislation and, hence, this paper makes recommendations that facilitate the adoption of this suggestion in Saudi Arabia, which will ultimately help preserve the national security of Saudi Arabia and the safety of members of its diplomatic missions and consular posts abroad.

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6 General International Law

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11 personal representation functional necessity extraterritoriality the sovereign

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13 )Diplomatic Agent( head of the mission members of the diplomatic staff

14 members of the staff of the mission

15 )Members of the Administrative and Technical Staff( Members of the Service Staff Private Servant

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17 Consular Officer

18 members of the consular post exequatur Consular Employee Member of the Service Staff Member of the Private Staff

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21 immunity from jurisdiction jurisdiction

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23 immunity

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25 functional immunity personal immunity

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43 persona non grata not acceptable

44 الخاتمة

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48 الهوامش Brownlie, I, Principles of Public International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 7th edn., 2008), p Roberts, I., (ed.) Satow s Diplomatic Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 6th edn., 2009), p. 3. Brownlie, op.cit., p Roberts, op.cit., pp

49 < Brown, J, Diplomatic Immunity: State Practice under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 37 Int l & Comp. L. Q. (1988), 53, p. 54. Denza, E, Diplomatic Law: Commentary on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edn, 2008), p. 2. Diplomatic Relations Act 1978; Cohen, B, The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, 28 Cath. U. L. Rev. ( ), 797; Marmon, W, The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978 and Its Consequences, 19 Va. J. Int l L. ( ), 131. Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964; Consular Relations Act 1968.

50 Cassese, Antonio, International Law (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2nd edn, 2005), pp. 114, 116. Wirth, S, Immunities, Related Problems, and Article 98 of the Rome Statute, 12 Criminal Law Forum (2001), 429, pp U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic and Consular Immunity: Guidance for Law Enforcement and Judicial Authorities (Washington D.C: U.S. Department of State, 2010), p. 1. Brownlie, op.cit., p Convention on Consular Relations, 8 Fordham Int l L.J. ( ) 96, from Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction, U.N.A/CN.4/601 (29 May 2008), paras , 100. Wilson, R, Diplomatic Immunity from Criminal Jurisdiction: Essential to Effective International Relations, 7 Loy. L.A. Int l & Comp. L. J. (1984), 113, pp ; Groff, J, A Proposal for Diplomatic Accountability Using the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court: The Decline of An Absolute Sovereign Right, 14 Temp. Int l & Comp. L. J. (2000), 209, pp ; Kolodkin, op.cit., paras Brownlie, op.cit., p. 351; Hickey, J & Fisch, A, The Case to Preserve Criminal Jurisdiction Immunity Accorded Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Personal in the United States, 41 Hastings L. J. ( ), 351, pp

51 International Law Commission, Draft Articles on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities with commentaries Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1958), vol. II, U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/SER.A/1958/Add.l, p. 95; Denza, op.cit., p. 6. U.S. Department of State, op.cit., p. 5. Brown, op.cit., pp ; Brownlie, op.cit., p Roberts, op.cit., p Brown, op.cit., pp Denza, op.cit., p. 49. Denza, op.cit., p Roberts, op.cit., p. 252.

52 International Law Commission, (1958), op.cit., p Brown, op.cit., pp Lee, L & Quigley, J, Consular Law and Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edn., 2008), pp

53 Roberts, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., p Kolodkin, op.cit., para. 44. Kolodkin, op.cit., para. 49. Brownlie, op.cit., pp

54 Kolodkin, op.cit., para. 56. Sucharitkul, S, Second Report on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property, Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1980), vol. II (Part One), U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/331 and Add.1, para. 33. Kolodkin, op.cit., paras. 64, 66.

55 Denza, op.cit., p International Law Commission, Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its forty-third session, Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1991), vol. II (Part Two), U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/ SER.A/1991/Add.l, pp Kolodkin, op.cit., para. 80. International Law Commission, (1991), op.cit., p. 18. Wirth, op.cit., pp International Law Commission, (1958), op.cit., pp Roberts, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., p. 393.

56 International Law Commission, (1958), op.cit., p. 97. U.S. Department of State, op.cit., pp Lee, op.cit., pp Lee, op.cit., pp

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58 members of the consular staff Denza, op.cit., p. 266.

59 Denza, op.cit., p Roberts, op.cit., pp Denza, op.cit., p. 20.

60 Denza, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., p Higgins, R, The Abuse of Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities: Recent United Kingdom Experience, 79 Am. J. Int l L. (1985), 641, p Cameron, I, First Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, 34 Int l & Comp. L. Q. (1985), 610, pp Roberts, op.cit., p Cameron, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., p Hickey, op.cit., p International Law Commission, (1958), op.cit., p. 98. Denza, op.cit., p. 273.

61 Lee, op.cit., pp Lee, op.cit., pp Roberts, op.cit., p Lee, op.cit., p Roberts, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., p. 226.

62 Denza, op.cit., pp Farhangi, L, Insuring Against Abuse of Diplomatic Immunity, 38 Stan. L. Rev. ( ), 1517, pp ; Mcdonough, M, Privileged Outlaws: Diplomats, Crimes and Immunity, 20 Suffolk Transant l L. Rev. ( ), 475, pp ; Groff, op.cit.,209, pp Wilson, op.cit., pp ; Shaprio, L, Foreign Relations Law: Modern Developments in Diplomatic Immunity, Ann. Surv. Am. L. (1989), 281, Higgins, op.cit., pp ; Hickey, op.cit., pp Denza, op.cit., pp Lee, op.cit., p Denza, op.cit., pp

63 International Law Commission, (1958), op.cit., p. 91.

64 المراجع

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66 - enna Convention on Consular Relations, 8 Fordham Int l L.J., ( ) Brown, J, Diplomatic Immunity: State Practice under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 37 Int l & Comp. L. Q. (1988), Brownlie, I, Principles of Public International Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 7th edn., 2008). - Cameron, I, First Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, 34 Int l & Comp. L. Q. (1985), Cassese, Antonio, International Law (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2nd edn., 2005). - Cohen, B, The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, 28 Cath. U. L. Rev. ( ), Denza, E, Diplomatic Law: Commentary on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edn., 2008).

67 - Farhangi, L, Insuring Against Abuse of Diplomatic Immunity, 38 Stan. L. Rev. ( ), Groff, J, A Proposal for Diplomatic Accountability Using the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court: The Decline of An Absolute Sovereign Right, 14 Temp. Int l & Comp. L. J., (2000), Hickey, J & Fisch, A, The Case to Preserve Criminal Jurisdiction Immunity Accorded Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Personal in the United States, 41 Hastings L. J., ( ), Higgins, R, The Abuse of Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities: Recent United Kingdom Experience, 79 Am. J. Int l L. (1985), International Law Commission, Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its forty-third session, Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1991), vol. II (Part Two), U.N. Doc. A/ CN.4/SER.A/1991/Add.l. - International Law Commission, Draft Articles on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities with commentaries, Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1958), vol. II. - Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction, U.N.A/CN.4/601 (29 May 2008). - Lee, L & Quigley, J, Consular Law and Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edn., 2008). - Marmon, W, The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978 and Its Consequences, 19 Va. J. Int l L. ( ), Mcdonough, M, Privileged Outlaws: Diplomats, Crimes and Immunity, 20 Suffolk Transant l L. Rev. ( ), Roberts, I, (ed.) Satow s Diplomatic Practice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 6th edn., 2009). - Shaprio, L, Foreign Relations Law: Modern Developments in Diplomatic Immunity, Ann. Surv. Am. L. (1989), Sucharitkul, S, Second Report on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property, Yearbook of the International Law Commission (1980), vol. II (Part One), U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/331 and Add.1. - U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic and Consular Immunity: Guidance for Law Enforcement and Judicial Authorities (Washington D.C: U.S. Department of State, 2010).

68 - Wilson, R, Diplomatic Immunity from Criminal Jurisdiction: Essential to Effective International Relations, 7 Loy. L.A. Int l & Comp. L. J. (1984), Wirth, S, Immunities, Related Problems, and Article 98 of the Rome Statute, 12 Criminal Law Forum (2001), 429.

69 Prof. Asem Taher Arab Dr. Mishary A. Al-Nuaim Dr. Mouteb S. Aleshiwy Dr. Mustafa A. Alam Dr. Khalid I. Al-Ali No: A.D