Jordan

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan achieved independence from Britain in 1946 and changed its name from Transjordan to Jordan in 1950. King Abdullah II has ruled the country since replacing his father King Hussein in 1999.

History of the Constitution

• A constitution was adopted in 1952. The constitution allows amendments on most issues except those regarding the rights of the king, the royal family, and succession to the throne.


• To amend the constitution, a two-thirds majority is required from both the House of Notables and the House of Representatives, or a two-thirds majority of a joint session. To come into force, an amendment must be ratified by the king.


• The constitution was amended in 1974, 1976, and 1984. In 1974, two amendments enabled the king to dissolve the parliament and postpone House elections for one year. The 1976 amendment enabled him to postpone elections indefinitely, but currently postponement is limited to two years, and only when "compelling circumstances" are deemed to impede the electoral process.

State Institutions

Executive Branch

The King

The king is the head of state and:

• Appoints the prime minister.
• Appoints the members and the president of the Senate.
• Convenes and adjourns the House of Representatives.
• Can postpone elections to the House of Representatives.
• Can dissolve the parliament and dismiss the prime minister and the cabinet at his discretion.
• Can declare martial law, thereby suspending the provisions of the constitution.
• Approves laws and promulgates them.
• Is the commander in chief of the armed forces.
• Can declare war.
• Signs treaties.
• Calls for elections.

Abdullah II became king on February 7, 1999, after the death of his father King Hussein.

The Prime Minister

The prime minister:

• Is appointed by the king, but can only serve with the confidence of the parliament.

King Abdullah II appointed Samir Zaid al-Rifai’i prime minister on December 6, 2009, following the resignation of Nader al-Dahabi. Prior to his resignation, on November 23 2009, King Abdullah dissolved both houses of Parliament due to poor performance. This occurred two months before the end of the parliament's term, and was followed by a call for early elections which took place in November 2010.

The Council of Ministers:

The Council of Ministers:

• Is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the king.
• Is responsible to the House of Representatives.
• Initiates and drafts legislation and submits it to the parliament for consideration.
• May issue provisional laws, with the approval of the king, when the parliament is not in session or is dissolved. These laws cannot violate any provisions of the constitution. They have the force of law until parliament reconvenes. The parliament may reject, approve, or amend provisional laws.

The current cabinet consisting of 29 members was sworn in on December 14, 2009, following Nader al-Dahabi’s resignation. Click here for a list of the new cabinet.

Legislative Branch

The 1952 constitution was amended to create a bicameral legislature, Majlis al-Umma, on May 22, 1980.

The House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan):

• Is appointed by the king for a four-year term and may be dissolved by him at any time.
• Is usually composed of former ministers, former members of the House of Representatives, senior judges and diplomats, and retired generals.
• Can initiate legislation. A group of ten senators may propose a bill.
• May refer a demand for interpretation of a constitutional clause to the High Tribunal. This resolution must be passed by an absolute majority of members.
• Has 55 members.

The House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwwab):

• The House of Representatives increased from 80 to 110 members through a new Elections Law, issued by royal decree on July 22, 2001 (Arabic Text).
• The composition of the House of Representatives was changed again when the Election Law was amended in 2003 to include a six-seat quota for women. (Arabic Text).
• One hundred and four members are elected for four-year terms under a plurality system from 44 multi-member constituencies. In addition, the six women candidates receiving the highest number of votes but losing their bid for election in their district are allocated seats in the House of Representatives.
• Nine of the 110 seats are reserved for Christians and three for Circassians and Chechens. Members of these communities run against each other for the particular seats allotted to them.
• The House of Representatives has legislative powers but cannot initiate legislation. It has the right to cast a vote of confidence in the cabinet.

The majority of deputies elected are not members of political parties. Deputies are elected on the basis of tribal ties, with the exception of the Islamic Action Front.

In November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in twenty-two years were held.

Parliament may approve, reject, or amend legislation proposed by the cabinet, but is restricted in its ability to initiate legislation.

Parliament may override the monarch’s veto by a two-thirds majority in both houses.

When the parliament is dissolved, the king rules by decree.

In June 2001, King Abdullah II dissolved parliament and postponed elections. Between June 2001 and June 2003, 211 “Provisional Laws” were passed without parliamentary control. Some laws restricted public liberties and others improved the civil status of women.

Judiciary

Jordan has a civil law system in which codes are derived from the Egyptian civil code, except for matters of personal status, that are based on religious laws.

Judges are appointed and dismissed by royal decree.

Judiciary Councils

The High Judicial Council plays an important role in the appointment, assignment, and evaluation of judges. It is headed by a judge and represents an important guardian of judicial independence. Its composition is largely judicial, but it also includes a representative from the Ministry of Justice.

Courts

Religious Courts

• The religious Courts are subdivided into Sharia courts and tribunals for non-Muslim religious communities.


• Sharia Courts have jurisdiction over all matters relating to the personal status of Muslims (and in cases when one party is non-Muslim but agrees to adjudication by the Sharia courts). Personal status issues include marriage, divorce, and inheritance.


• A special court appointed by the Court of Cassation adjudicates disputes between two religious courts and between a religious court and a civil court.

Courts of Appeal

• The courts of appeal hear appeals from courts of first instance and from religious courts.


• The Court of Cassation serves as the final court of appeal for all lower court cases in the normal court system, but not for other systems (such as military and administrative courts).


• The High Court of Justice hears directly all administrative cases. There are also specialized sections of the court for technical matters including taxation and customs.


• For the first time in Jordan's history, a woman judge, Ihsan Barakat, was appointed as head of an appeals court on May 28, 2007. Jordan has had women judges since 1996.

Other Courts

• The State Security Court, composed of both military and civilian judges, has jurisdiction over offenses against the state and drug-related crimes. While most trials in the civilian courts are open and procedurally sound, proceedings of the State Security Court are closed to the public. Suspects referred to the State Security Court are often held in lengthy pretrial detention and refused access to legal counsel until just before the trial. Defendants charged with security-related offenses frequently allege the use of torture to extract confessions.


• Two special bodies blend judicial and non-judicial members. Neither is a standing body; both are formed only when needed:
  
  The High Tribunal, a special court composed of Senate members and senior judges, can question and try ministers and has the right to interpret the constitution when requested by the cabinet or either house of parliament. Its interpretations are binding.
  
  The Special Tribunal may, upon the request of the prime minister, interpret the provisions of any law that have not been interpreted by the courts. It consists of the president of the highest civil courts, two other senior judges, a senior administrative official appointed by the cabinet, and a senior official appointed by the concerned minister. Its interpretations are binding.

In 2001, the government passed a provisional law amending Article 340, which no longer exempted perpetrators of honor crimes from the death penalty. Articles 97 and 98, which reduce the sentence for crimes committed in a fit of fury and are frequently referenced in honor crime cases, were unaffected by the amendments. The Jordanian National Commission for Women, headed by Princess Basma, was appointed by the government to recommend the cancellation of Article 340.

Reforms Under Discussion

• The High Judicial Council does not exercise its authority with complete independence from the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry has been drafting a law to transfer this remaining authority to the Council (and other judicial reforms are also under consideration). Adoption of the law would render Jordan’s judiciary among the most independent in the Arab world. Special courts, however, would remain under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice.


• The 1990 National Charter (English Text) calls for the establishment of a constitutional court, but no such court has yet been constructed. The Jordanian Bar Association has been pressing this issue but the government has refused to act.
  
  Jordan’s civil courts have asserted a right to judicial review of the constitutionality of legislation, but the decision asserting this right remains controversial.


• Jordanian law provides for lenient treatment of those convicted of “honor crimes”—the murder or attempted murder of women by relatives for alleged sexual misconduct—mandating a minimum of only six months in prison. Human rights activists have demanded that Law no. 340 on Crimes of Honor be abolished. In August 2009, the Ministry of Justice announced that tit would establish a special tribunal to hear these cases. Click here for more details.

Military

The Jordanian military consists of five main branches, including: Jordanian Armed Forces, Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command. The Jordanian Armed Forces, which includes all of these branches, is under direct control of King Abdullah II.

In 1999, conscription was amended for men and women of 18 years of age.

Jordan receives military aid from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States due to its critical position in the Middle East.

Political Environment

Political Parties

There are 32 registered political parties. Click here for a list of parties.

Parties can be divided into four broad groups: Islamist, leftist, Arab nationalist, and conservative.

Most parties have only several hundred members, and have been characterized by a lack of leadership turnover, internal schisms, and a lack of transparency.

Parties with an Islamist Character:

The Islamic Action Front (Jabhat al-Amal al-Urduni) (1992):

• Is a political affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
• Is considered the largest party with the broadest popular base.
• Has had strong showing in elections.
• Calls for the implementation of the Sharia law in Jordan.
• Presented its reform program on October 23, 2005. With the declared aim of “achieving comprehensive national reform,” the program calls for political, judicial, economic, educational, social, and administrative reform within a framework that acknowledges Islam as the only source of legislation. The document states that political reform must be based on the rotation of executive power and on political participation and pluralism. It also calls for a separation among the executive, legislative, and judicial powers, with a particular emphasis on increasing parliament’s powers. This entails making all state institutions accountable to parliament and ensuring full judicial oversight of parliamentary elections. The upper house of the bicameral parliament, Majlis al-Ayan, should be dissolved because its members are appointed by the king and thus are not truly representative. In the area of judicial reform, extraordinary courts should be abolished and military courts should try only military personnel.
• Led by Hamzah Mansour, elected in June 2010 as IAF secretary general. Click here for more.

Arab Islamic Democratic Movement (1993):

• Lacks wide popular reach.
• Has limited political participation.

Islamic Center Party (2001):

• Was founded by former members of the Islamic Action Front.
• Includes a number of independent Islamists.

Parties with Leftist Orientations:

• Jordanian Communist Party (1993)
• Jordanian Democratic Left Party (1995)
• Jordanian People’s Democratic Party (HASHD) (1993)
• Jordanian Popular Democratic Unity Party (1993)
• Progressive Party (1993)
• Jordanian Labor Party (1998)
• Jordanian Communist Workers Party

Leftist Parties:

• Oppose Jordan’s economic “openness.”
• Are staunch critics of normalization of relations with Israel.
• Have a weak political presence.
• Suffer from various internal splits.
• Grew out of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which were present on the Jordanian scene but were unable to continue political activity after the Political Parties Law of 1992.

Arab nationalist parties:

• Jordanian Arab Baath Socialist Party (1993)
• Arab Baath Progressive Party (1993)
• National Action Party (Haqq) (1994)
• Arab Land Party (1996)
• Jordanian Arab Ansar Party (1995)
• National Popular Democratic Movement (1997)
• Jordanian Arab Party (2002)

Conservative parties:

• National Constitutional Party (1997)
• Future Party (1992)
• Jordanian Peace Party (1996)
• Jordanian Constitutional Front (1994)

The conservative parties:

• Are characterized by an ideology based on Jordanian nationalism.
• Have links to the traditional Jordanian tribes rather than to the population of Palestinian origin.

Other parties:

• Freedom Party (al-Ahrar)
• Nation Party (al-Umma)
• Jordanian Generations Party
• Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party
• Jordanian Renaissance Party
• Jordanian Green Party
• Jordanian Citizens’ Rights Movement
• Jordanian People’s Committees Movement
• Jordanian Rafah Party
• Mission Party

Election Results

Results for Parliamentary elections on November 9, 2010:

• The overwhelming majority of seats were won by loyalists of King Abdullah II.


• 763 candidates competed for 120 seats in which they will serve a four-year term.


• Seventeen of the elected candidates came from opposition parties (not including the Islamic Action Front)


• 78 members of the parliament were newcomers.

Official turnout was said to be 53 percent. This figure is contested by the Islamic Action Front.

The Islamic Action Front announced in July 2010 that it would be boycotting the elections due to what it believes were unfair election laws. Click here for more.

There were 53 violent incidents recorded on the day the elections took place. A 25-year-old man was killed in the southern city of Karak during one of these violent clashes. Also, up to 30 people were arrested for carrying dangerous weapons such as knives on their way to the election polls.

This is the first time the Jordanian government allowed international observers into the country during parliamentary elections. The National Democratic Institute mobilized 61 observers from eighteen different countries and territories.

Click here for detailed results. (Arabic)

Results for the Parliamentary election on November 20, 2007:

Parties	% of the vote	Seats won
Independents of various tendencies	89	98
Islamic Action Front (Jabhat al-Amal al-Islami)	5.5	6
Seats allocated to women by a special electoral panel	5.5	6
Total (turnout 42 percent)	100.0	110

A statement by the Amman-based al-Urdun al-Jadid Research Center reported significant electoral irregularities including vote buying, security breaches, and the use of improper identification by voters.

For more, click here.

Results of the municipal elections of July 2007:

Voter turnout: More than 1.1 million of 1.9 million eligible voters.

The Islamic Action Front won two of 965 seats, despite having withdrawn from the race.

The Islamists withdrew their 25 candidates after polls opened, accusing the government of fraud and manipulation of votes cast by military personnel, who participated in the elections for the first time.

The vote was the first since a law was passed granting women a 20 percent quota and reducing the voting age from 19 to 18. Twenty women candidates above those elected by quota won council seats and one woman won a mayorship.

Civil Society and Nongovernmental Actors

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are only allowed to work in their stated specialized field and after presenting a detailed description of their activity plans and budget to the authorities.
  
  They are not allowed to engage in political activities. Foreign funding for NGOs must be channeled through approved intermediary bodies. The ministry of social development registers NGOs and controls their activities.


• The Jordanian Society for Citizens' Rights (JSCR) was shut down in October 2002, making it the first civil society institution to be closed since 1989. The JSCR had to end its activities after the minister of interior ordered its closure and the cancelled its registration for alleged violation of the Societies and Social Institutions Act.


• Professional organizations are effective political pressure groups in Jordan. However, in November 2002, the judiciary dissolved the council of the Engineers Association—the richest and most powerful of the syndicates—and declared the Professional Associations Council to be illegal.


• Workers in the private sector and in some state-owned companies have the right to form and join unions. Unions must be registered to be considered legal. Workers have the right to bargain collectively, but must receive government permission in order to strike. Union membership is limited to citizens, excluding the country’s numerous foreign workers.

Unions

More than 30 percent of the workforce is organized into seventeen unions.

Syndicates:

• Jordanian Bar Association
• Jordanian Press Association
• Council of Professional Association Presidents

Umbrella organizations:

• The General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions
• The Federation of Jordanian Chambers of Commerce
• The Amman Chamber of Commerce
• The Jordanian Engineers Association

Civil and Political Rights

Personal Liberties

• The Jordanian constitution guarantees freedom of assembly and speech within the limits of the law but there is little legal protection from arbitrary arrest and detention.


• The constitution allows the detention of suspects for up to 48 hours without a warrant and up to ten days without formal charges. Courts routinely grant prosecutors fifteen-day extensions of this deadline.


• According to human rights organizations, there have been numerous detentions of political demonstrators on the grounds of public order or involvement with Islamist groups, or terrorist activity, or of gun-running to support the Intifada in the Palestinian territories.


• The House of Representatives approved on August 29, 2006 a controversial draft counter-terrorism law despite objections by Islamist deputies and human rights activists. The draft law entitles the State Security public prosecutor to detain suspects, carry out surveillance, prevent suspects from traveling, and monitor financial assets. Under the current Penal Code, suspects may be held for only 24 hours before a court order authorizing further detention is required. The legislation was first proposed in November 2005 in the wake of the terrorist bombings in Amman.


• On September 27, 2006, theparliament approved the draft iftaa (Islamic verdicts) law that requires written approval from the religious affairs minister for new mosque preachers and anyone teaching the Quran in mosques. Under the law, violators face penalties of up to one month in prison and a fine of $142. On September 13, 2007, the parliament approved a measure that allows only a state-appointed council to issue fatwas (religious edicts) and makes it illegal to criticize these fatwas. Islamic Action Front members of parliament rejected the law on the basis that it curbs religious freedoms and freedom of expression.


• The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch provides a current, comprehensive overview of human rights developments in Jordan.

Legislation Regulating the Exercise of Rights

Political Party Laws

The constitution of 1952 states the right of citizens to set up and join political parties. This was confirmed by the Political Parties Law of 1955. In 1957, martial law was declared and parties were banned until 1989.

Current legislation regarding political parties:

• The National Charter of 1990 (English Text), which contains guidelines for the conduct of political party activities.


• The Charter on Civil Liberties (Mithaq), written in 1989 by a committee that included major Jordanian civil society groups. It affirms the state’s commitment to the rule of law and political pluralism.


• The Political Parties Law No. 32 of 1992:


• To receive a license from the ministry of interior, parties must have a minimum of 50 members, respect the constitution and the ideals of political pluralism, and be committed to the preservation of national unity.
• Parties can resort to the judiciary to challenge a decision by the minister of interior to deny a license.
• Parties are allowed to issue publications in accordance with the Press and Publications Law.
• The headquarters, communications, and correspondence of political parties are protected by law from raids and searches without judicial approval.
• Government employees are no longer allowed to belong to a political party as of December 2002.
• A political ban on leftist and Islamist parties was lifted in 1991, opening the way for their representation in the parliament.


• In October 2002, King Abdullah launched a reform plan known as “Jordan First.” It was aimed at modernizing the country’s political life and at focusing it on internal affairs instead of regional conflicts.


• In October 2003, the king proclaimed his vision for comprehensive political development. This strategy calls for creating a national dialogue on political reform; revising the political party law to introduce tighter controls on funding and to make registration dependent on a distinct platform and demonstrated grassroots support; and amending electoral laws to encourage voting, especially by women and youth (Reform Agenda).


• A new Jordanian political party law went into effect on April 16, 2008. The parliament passed the law in 2007 but the government agreed to give parties a grace period to organize themselves. Newspapers have reported that only fourteen of Jordan’s 36 political parties have been able to comply with the new regulations, which include obtaining a certificate of government support and an increase in minimum party membership from 50 to 500 members.
  
  Parties unable to comply, including eight of the fourteen-party opposition coalition, were forced to dissolve and are calling the new law unconstitutional. The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood and Jordan’s largest opposition party, was able to comply with the new law.

Electoral Law

• In August 1993, the parliament passed amended the election law to replace earlier provisions, whereby voters were entitled to as many votes as the number of parliamentary seats allocated for their district. Under the new system, which is known as the “one person, one vote” system, voters cast only one ballot for one candidate.
  
  This amendment is very controversial. Critics believe it was designed to favor traditional elites and tribal candidates over political party candidates (English Text).


• An Election Law, issued by royal decree on July 22, 2001, raised the number of lower house seats from 80 to 104 seats and reduced the voting age from 19 to 18 (Arabic Text).
  
  The Election Law was amended in 2003 to include a quota for women of six parliamentary seats, raising the number of lower-house seats to 110 (Arabic Text).


• Electoral districting is considered unfair by many observers because of a lack of balance between the population and the number of seats per district. It is also seen as intended to reduce the representation of areas heavily populated by Jordanians of Palestinian origin.


• In 2009, a nationwide campaign directed toward making changes to the Jordanian electoral system was launched. These recommendations are aimed at guaranteeing freer and fairer elections that meet the international standard. To read more, click here.


• This was followed by the Rifai government’s revelation of the new electoral law passed in May 2010. This new law addresses some of the pressing demands that had previously been made, such as the addition of seats representing some major Palestinian cities. To read more, click here.


• The electoral system in Jordan has been a subject of contention for quite some time as many parties are unhappy with the “one man, one vote” system, among other issues.


• The Muslim Brotherhood decided to boycott the 2010 parliamentary elections. Click here for more details.

Law on Associations

• The Law on Associations and Foundations of 1996 prohibits the use of associations for the benefit of any partisan organization.
  
  A 2001 provisional law, endorsed by parliament in 2004, requires organizers of public rallies to obtain permission from the local governor three days before calling for any public assembly. The local governor enjoys ample discretion in his decision to authorize a public rally.


• The Jordanian Society for Citizens' Rights (JSCR) was shut down in October 2002, making it the first civil society institution to be closed since 1989. The JSCR had to end its activities after the Minister of Interior ordered its closure and cancels registration for alleged violation of the Societies and Social Institutions Act.
  
  The government has threatened to dissolve the Council of the Jordanian Professional Associations.


• A new draft law barring professional associations from engaging in politics is awaiting a decision in parliament. The Jordanian cabinet approved the draft law on March 6, 2005. The law changes the way in which professional associations elect their leadership. It stipulates that members of the local branches of the associations will elect intermediary councils and that the members of these councils in turn will elect each association’s president and general council.
  
  The draft also authorizes the Audit Bureau to inspect the associations’ financial records, and restricts their activities to internal and professional matters. Any event that could be regarded as a discussion of political issues would require organizations to obtain official approval three days in advance. The law would also create a disciplinary council to judge offenses.


• The lower house of parliament deferred action on an amended public gathering law proposed by the government in June 2008. The proposed law has been the subject of heated debates; political parties argue it would stifle the limited freedom of expression they currently enjoy. The law stipulates that all public demonstrations be authorized in advance by the government. Click here for more details.

Media Laws

• The 1998 Press and Publications Law regulates the activities of the media. It grants the government wide discretionary powers to issue fines, withdraw licenses, and order shutdowns.


• Articles in the Penal Code also limit press freedom, such as provisions that restrict criticism of the royal family, the national assembly, and public officials. The Penal Code authorizes the state to take action against any person who incites violence, defames heads of states, disseminates “false or exaggerated information outside the country that attacks state dignity,” or defames a public official.
  
  Amendments to the Penal Code passed as a provisional law by Royal Decree on October 8, 2001, raised new concerns about freedom of the press. Article 150 threatens anyone with imprisonment for "publishing a story, speech or act in any way that offends national unity, stirs people to commit crimes, implants hatred among members of society, instigates sectarianism and racism, insults the dignity and personal freedoms of individuals, promotes fabricated rumors, incites others to riot, sit-in or organize public gatherings that violate the laws of the country."
  
  In 2003, the government revoked provisional laws enacted in 2001-2002 that criminalized press violations.


• In October 2003, the government replaced the ministry of information with an appointed Higher Media Council that formulated media policy.


• An audiovisual committee oversees the licensing of private radio and television stations. Licenses cost between 25,000 and 100,000 Jordanian Dinars or US $35,000 to US $140,000, plus a 50 percent surcharge for stations choosing to cover news and politics.
  
  The government closely monitors content in the print media and enjoys a monopoly on the domestic broadcast media.
  
  Informers in newspapers reportedly alert government officials about draft articles and stories that might be considered objectionable, and editors and journalists report pressure from state officials to stop the publication of certain articles.


• According to the annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders, Jordan ranks 112 of 175 countries. The index runs from 1 (most press freedom) to 175 (least press freedom).


• Jordan’s lower house of parliament endorsed on March 21, 2007 changes to the controversial press and publications law, abolishing clauses allowing imprisonment of journalists. Journalists operating in the kingdom can face fines of up to 28,000 Dinars (US $40,000) for violations relating to defaming religion, offending religious prophets, inciting sectarian strife or racism, slandering individuals, and spreading false information or rumors. Click here for details. The draft law was first presented to parliament in 2004 by former prime minister Faisal Al Fayez's government.


• On August 6, 2010, the government banned access to up to 40 websites in all public work spaces, in Jordan claiming that they are a waste of work time. However, most of these websites were said to be independent news portals criticizing various pending issues in Jordan. Click here for details.


• On August 29, 2010, the government endorsed amendments to the final draft of a newly implemented Cyber Crimes law (August 3, 2010), aimed to protecting “…the rights of individuals against physical and moral violations…” Click here for details.

Personal Status Law

• Women face legal discrimination in matters such as the right to obtain a passport, pension and social security benefits, inheritance, divorce, and the weight of their testimony in the courts (falling under the jurisdiction of Sharia courts).
  
  Women’s participation in the elections is hindered by the fact that they are registered in the family election card and hence obliged to vote in the same centers as their husbands or fathers.


• In December 2001, the Jordanian cabinet approved several amendments to the Personal Status and Civil Status Law. The amendment raises the legal age for marriage from 15 for women and 16 for men to 18 for both genders, and allows Jordanian women legal recourse to divorce, subject to certain monetary compensations.
  
  New restrictions on polygamy require a man to inform his first wife of plans to marry again and to submit evidence of his financial ability to support more than one wife.
  
  The lower house of parliament rejected these amendments. The main disagreements among legislators centered on whether to allow women the right to divorce, to require the judiciary to inform women of their husbands' decision to remarry, and to raise the age of marriage to 18.


• Islamist, conservative, and tribal members of parliament rejected the amendments in August 2003, claiming that they "encourage moral disintegration, tear down family values, and are against Islamic law." The Senate, which must approve lower house decisions, overturned the rejection and returned the bill to the lower house for consideration.
  
  In a vote on June 2004, several legislators who had previously supported the amendments voted against them to protest the Senate's action. Should the Senate uphold its decision, a joint vote between the two houses will be held and the law will pass if a two-thirds majority endorses it.


• The National Center for Human Rights was also established in 2003 to monitor conditions in prisons and cases of ill-treatment of political detainees and of “incommunicado” detention.

Recent Government Initiatives Affecting Rights

• A 27-member government-appointed steering committee for the Jordanian National Agenda released its final report, which outlines a vision for comprehensive economic, social, and political reform over the next ten years. The National Agenda is available online in Arabic.


• For a full 2009 report on human rights click here.

Ratification of International Conventions

• The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on May 30, 1974
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) on May 28, 1975
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on May 28, 1975
• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) on November 13, 1991
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on May 24, 1991
• The Convention of on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on July 1, 1992
• Jordan has ratified most of the International Labor Organization’s Fundamental Conventions (nondiscrimination, child labor, forced labor, trade union rights) except Convention No. 87 on the freedom of association and protection of the right to organize
• The Biological Diversity Convention (CBD) on June11, 1992, and the Kyoto Protocol signed on January17, 2003