Senate endorses judiciary, juveniles and public-private partnership bills

AMMAN — The Senate on Sunday endorsed the 2014 draft independence of the judiciary law as referred from the Lower House with no changes, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

According to its validating reasons, the bill is meant to enhance the independence of the judiciary and has come in line with paragraphs B and C of Article 98 of the Constitution, Petra said. 

“Judges of the Civil and Sharia courts shall be appointed and dismissed by a Royal Decree in accordance with the provisions of the law,” the article reads.

MPs added an amendment to the law that governs the appointment and termination of service procedures for judges, linking them with a Royal Decree.

Under the law, a fund will be established for judges, with its revenues coming from fees on petitions, complaints and lawsuits, according to Petra.

The Lower House amended another provision in the draft independence of the judiciary law easing conditions for the appointment of the Court of Cassation president.

The Senate also endorsed the draft juveniles law and the draft public-private partnership law referred for the second time from the Lower House. 

The draft juveniles law includes articles mitigating the burdens on juvenile courts and centres through the establishment of settlement committees and taking alternative disciplinary measures. 

The law is aimed at applying restorative justice instead of penal measures when dealing with cases involving juveniles.

The 2014 draft public-private partnership law aims to encourage the participation of the private sector in the Kingdom’s economic development and provide a legislative environment for joint projects between the two sectors.

The three draft laws will now be sent to His Majesty King Abdullah for ratification, after which they will go into effect once published in the Official Gazette.