--- name: research-statute-lookup-sboghossian title: Statute Lookup description: 'Use when a user needs the current text of a specific statute, article, or regulation — not a summary or paraphrase, but the actual verbatim text with citation, effective date, and authoritative source link. MENA-primary: covers Lebanon (Official Gazette), KSA (Bureau of Experts), UAE federal (MOJ), DIFC (Laws portal), ADGM (Legislation portal), with secondary EU (EUR-Lex), France (Légifrance), and general access. Always quotes verbatim — never paraphrases article text. Pairs with recent-amendments-tracker because MENA databases lag the official gazette.' author: sboghossian author_url: https://github.com/sboghossian/mini-claude-for-legal/tree/main/skills/research/research-statute-lookup license: MIT version: 0.1.0 execution_mode: open jurisdiction: general practice: regulatory language: en --- # Statute Lookup Retrieve the current verbatim text of a statute, article, or regulation from its authoritative source. This skill quotes the text exactly as enacted — it never paraphrases. It also provides the citation, effective date, amendment history, and a link to the authoritative source so the reader can verify. ## When to use this - A lawyer drafting a legal opinion needs to quote the exact statutory text - A contract drafter needs to verify that a compliance clause correctly reflects the applicable law - A court submission requires a verbatim statutory quotation with citation - A compliance team is building a control framework anchored to specific statutory articles - A researcher needs the original instrument before analyzing regulator guidance or case law that interprets it **Do not use this** when you need regulator interpretation — that is [[research-regulator-guidance-lookup]]. Do not use this when you need recent changes — pair this with [[research-recent-amendments-tracker]]. ## Inputs | Input | Why it matters | Default | |-------|---------------|---------| | Statute or law name | The instrument to look up | Required — or provide subject area if name not known | | Specific article(s) | Retrieves targeted text; avoid returning the entire law if only 1–2 articles are needed | Provide if known | | Jurisdiction | Different jurisdictions have different sources | Required | | Effective date / version date | For historical analysis or dispute about what law applied at a past date | Default: current consolidated version | | Language preference | Many MENA instruments exist in Arabic only; English translation may be unofficial | Note Arabic-only instruments | ## Sources by jurisdiction ### Lebanon (LB) **Official Gazette** (الجريدة الرسمية / Al-Jarida Al-Rasmiya): - The sole authoritative source for enacted laws and decree-laws in Lebanon - Published by the Ministry of Information; accessible via the official gazette portal (gazette.gov.lb) and the Lebanese Parliament's digital archive (lp.gov.lb) - Available in Arabic and French (many foundational laws are in French from the Mandate period) **Key Lebanese statutes frequently referenced**: - Code of Obligations and Contracts (Code des Obligations et des Contrats, Decree-Law of 9 March 1932) - Commercial Code (Code de commerce, Legislative Decree No. 304 of 24 December 1942) - Labor Law (Legislative Decree No. 124 of 23 September 1946, as amended) - Law No. 3 of 1956 — Banking Secrecy - Code of Civil Procedure (Decree-Law No. 90 of 16 September 1983) - Company Law (Law No. 126 of 19 May 2019 for offshore companies; SAL provisions in Code of Commerce) **Access via**: [[connector-legal-data-hunter]] for consolidated Lebanese law texts. ### KSA (Saudi Arabia) **Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers (BOE)**: - The authoritative consolidated source for Royal Decrees and Council of Ministers decisions - Maintained at bureau.gov.sa; Arabic language - BOE consolidates amendments into the base text — the most reliable source for current law **Official Gazette** (أم القرى / Umm Al-Qura): - Primary promulgation vehicle; published weekly - Hijri calendar dates — convert to Gregorian when citing **Key KSA statutes frequently referenced**: - Commercial Register Law (Royal Decree M/1 of 1423 AH / 2002 AD) - Labor Law (Royal Decree M/51 of 1426 AH / 2005 AD, as amended) - Companies Law (Royal Decree M/132 of 1443 AH / 2022 AD — new law replacing 2015 version) - Capital Market Law (Royal Decree M/30 of 1424 AH) - Anti-Money Laundering Law (Royal Decree M/20 of 1424 AH / 2003 AD) - Real Estate Development Law (Royal Decree M/43 of 1442 AH) **Access via**: [[connector-legal-data-hunter]] for KSA law; BOE portal for primary source. ### UAE Federal **Ministry of Justice (MOJ) website** (moj.gov.ae): - Consolidated UAE federal laws in Arabic; some in English - Federal Decree-Laws, Federal Laws, Cabinet Resolutions **UAE Federal Official Gazette** (الجريدة الرسمية الاتحادية): - Authoritative; Arabic; published officially **Key UAE federal statutes frequently referenced**: - Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 — Commercial Companies Law (CCL) - Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 — Regulation of Employment Relations in the Private Sector (Labor Law) - Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 — Combating Rumours and Cybercrime - Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 — Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) - Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 — Civil Transactions Law (Civil Code), as amended - Federal Law No. 11 of 1992 — Civil Procedure Code, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 - Cabinet Decision No. 1 of 2022 — Implementing Regulation of the Labor Law - Cabinet Decision No. 58 of 2020 — Beneficial Ownership Procedures Regulation ### DIFC **DIFC Laws portal** (difclaw.ae): - The authoritative, version-controlled portal for all DIFC legislation - Consolidated texts with amendment history visible; notes the "as at" date **Key DIFC laws frequently referenced**: - DIFC Law No. 3 of 2004 — Contract Law (as amended, incorporating 2017 and later amendments) - DIFC Law No. 5 of 2005 — Companies Law (as amended) - DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019 — Employment Law - DIFC Law No. 1 of 2008 — Arbitration Law (as amended 2013) - DIFC Law No. 4 of 2004 — Strata Title Law - DFSA Rulebook modules (not technically "statutes" but have statutory effect): GEN, COB, PIB, AML, etc. ### ADGM **ADGM Legislation portal** (legislation.adgm.com): - Authoritative portal for ADGM Regulations and Rules - Well-maintained and current; includes "table of amendments" ### EU **EUR-Lex** (eur-lex.europa.eu): - All EU Regulations (directly applicable), Directives, Decisions - Search by CELEX number (e.g., 32016R0679 = GDPR), by keyword, or by OJ reference - "Consolidated" versions incorporate amendments — verify the "consolidated on" date **Key EU instruments frequently referenced in MENA practice**: - GDPR — Regulation (EU) 2016/679 - AML Directive 6 — Directive (EU) 2021/1237 - MiFID II — Directive 2014/65/EU - EU Sanctions Regulations (various programs) ### France (FR) **Légifrance** (legifrance.gouv.fr): - Authoritative source for all French laws and regulations - Code civil, Code de commerce, Code du travail, etc. - Use "version en vigueur au [date]" filter for historical versions - Available via [[connector-legifrance]] ## Output structure ``` ## [Statute Name] **Jurisdiction**: [jurisdiction] **Citation**: [full citation — decree/law number, date] **Effective date**: [date law entered into force] **Last amended**: [date; consolidated to [date] if consolidated version] **Authoritative source**: [URL or reference to official portal] **Language(s)**: [Arabic | French | English | Arabic + English] **Status**: In force | Repealed | Superseded by [instrument name] --- ### Article [X] — [Article heading if available] > [Verbatim text of the article, in original language] **English translation** *(unofficial — original controls)*: [Translation if the original is Arabic or French and no official English version exists] **Notes**: [Any amendment to this article since enactment; version differences] --- ``` ## The verbatim rule **Never paraphrase article text.** A paraphrase, however careful, risks: - Omitting a condition or exception that is legally material ("unless" clauses are frequently paraphrased out) - Changing the meaning of a term of art (Arabic legal terms frequently have specific jurisprudential meanings that are lost in casual translation) - Creating a misstatement that could mislead a client or court If a verbatim quote is too long to reproduce in full, quote the specific sub-articles or paragraphs that are directly relevant, and note the omission. ## Caution on MENA database lag MENA legal databases — including commercial and official portals — frequently lag the official gazette publication by days to weeks. For laws enacted or amended within the last 3 months: 1. Explicitly flag the lag risk in the output 2. Run [[research-recent-amendments-tracker]] to check whether a more recent version exists 3. Recommend the user obtain a certified extract from the official gazette for mission-critical reliance **Hijri vs Gregorian dates**: KSA instruments use Hijri calendar in the official citation. Always specify both when citing a KSA instrument (e.g., "Royal Decree M/51 of 1426 AH (2005 AD)"). Ambiguity in the calendar can cause a party to reference a completely different instrument. ## Related skills - [[research-recent-amendments-tracker]] - [[research-regulation-lookup]] - [[research-regulator-guidance-lookup]] - [[research-case-law-search]] - [[research-deep-research-orchestrator]]