Legal System of Jordan

Jordan is located in Middle East. It is geographically situated in middle east, northwest of saudi arabia, between israel (to the west) and iraq. The country achieved independence on 25 may 1946 (from league of nations mandate under british administration). The capital is Amman.

Government Overview

Government Type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy Chief of State: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999) Head of Government: Prime Minister Jafar HASSAN (since 15 September 2024) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister Administrative Divisions: 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); ‘Ajlun, Al ‘Aqabah, Al Balqa’, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al ‘Asimah (Amman), At Tafilah, Az Zarqa’, Irbid, Jarash, Ma’an, Madaba National Holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Jordan is described as mixed system developed from Ottoman Empire codes (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: previous 1928 (pre-independence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952 Amendment Process: constitutional amendments require at least a two-thirds majority vote of both the Senate and the House and ratification by the king

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 15 members, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members) Judge Selection: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Judicial Council, an 11-member judicial policymaking body consisting of high-level judicial officials and judges, and approved by the king; judge tenure not limited; Constitutional Court members appointed by the king for 6-year non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 2 years Subordinate Courts: Courts of Appeal; Great Felonies Court; religious courts; military courts; juvenile courts; Land Settlement Courts; Income Tax Court; Higher Administrative Court; Customs Court; special courts including the State Security Court

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of bicameral Lower Chamber: House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwaab) (138 (all directly elected) seats) Electoral System (Lower Chamber): mixed system Upper Chamber: Senate (Majlis Al-Aayan)

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: the father must be a citizen of Jordan Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Historical Background

After World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. In 1921, Britain demarcated from Palestine a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan and recognized ABDALLAH I from the Hashemite family as the country's first leader. The Hashemites also controlled the Hijaz, or the western coastal area of modern-day Saudi Arabia, until 1925, when IBN SAUD and Wahhabi tribes pushed them out.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Jordan based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.