His Excellency Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, the Attorney General, issued a series of decisions during March 2025 to grant and revoke the judicial seizure authority (Mā’mūrī al-Ḍabṭ al-Qaḍā’ī) for a number of employees in various government entities. The decisions involved the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Social Development and Family.
These decisions were published in Issue No. 10 of the Official Gazette for the year 2025.
Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs
The ministry saw a notable reshuffling in its list of employees holding judicial seizure authority.
Decision No. (28) granted the authority to four new employees, including department heads and follow-up clerks, to handle violations related to the regulation of Hajj and Umrah services.
Decision No. (30) granted two employees at religious centers this authority, while revoking it from seven others who had previously held it.
Decision No. (48) granted the authority to six new employees specializing in zakat affairs, while revoking it from four others, in accordance with Law No. (12) of 2021 regulating the receipt and disbursement of zakat funds.
Ministry of Municipalities
The most extensive decision in this series was Decision No. (29), which granted judicial seizure authority to 21 employees across various fields including building permits, state property, public parking, and legal studies, based on Law No. (15) of 2010 regulating worker accommodation in family residential areas.
Meanwhile, the ministry also witnessed a wide revocation of this authority under Decisions No. (31), (36), and (47), which affected no fewer than 11 former employees.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Changes in this ministry included revoking judicial seizure authority from one employee under Decision No. (44), followed by granting it to another employee in the licensing division under Decision No. (46).
These changes fall within the scope of Law No. (12) of 1972 on fixed pricing and profit margins and Law No. (8) of 2008 on consumer protection.
Ministry of Social Development and Family
As part of regulatory oversight of associations and private institutions, the Attorney General issued Decision No. (45) granting four female employees judicial seizure authority, pursuant to Decree-Law No. (21) of 2020, supporting the ministry’s monitoring of compliance in the civil society sector.
Legal Framework
These decisions are based on Article (27) of Law No. (23) of 2004 on Criminal Procedure, which authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the relevant minister, to grant judicial seizure authority to specific employees, provided the crimes fall within their professional jurisdiction.
This legal provision is considered a cornerstone in shaping Qatar’s modern administrative oversight structure, as it allows for the expansion of legal accountability mechanisms across various state agencies, without undermining the original roles of the Public Prosecution and the Police.
