Kuwait Court of Cassation principle number 2459

Expiry of proceedings upon the lapse of three years from the last valid procedural step therein. That period is an extinctive prescription period for the proceedings themselves. This period is subject to suspension and interruption. Suspension occurs through the existence of a material or legal impediment preventing the taking of steps to reactivate and continue the proceedings. - The same act giving rise to both criminal and civil liability, and the liability action being brought before the civil court. Its implication. Bringing the criminal action, whether before the civil action is brought or while it is pending, requires a stay of the civil action until the criminal action is finally determined. This relates to public policy - 474 - Obligation and therefore the litigants are barred from taking any step to bring the civil proceedings before the court again before this legal impediment ceases. The period during which the criminal action remained pending until it terminated by a final judgment or by any other ground of termination is not counted toward the period for expiry of the proceedings, and from that date the period for expiry of proceedings in the civil action is calculated.