King renews support for judiciary, urges better performance

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with Judicial Council President Hisham Tal who delivered the annual report on the judicial authority for 2014 to the King.

His Majesty, at the meeting which took place at Al Husseiniya Palace, expressed his admiration of the "advanced level" the judicial authority has reached, stressing his full support for the judiciary and its independence, according to a Royal Court statement.

At the meeting, during which Tal delivered a presentation on the council's plans and programmes to update the work of the judicial authority, the King reiterated the need to ensure a conducive environment — in terms of legislation and administration — that guarantees speedy processing and just rulings in cases seen by courts.

The Monarch also said it is important to proceed with efforts to set up specialised courts, train specialised judges and improve the efficiency of judicial personnel to ensure optimal performance, professionalism and the highest level of accuracy, the statement added.

The King urged the Judicial Council to continue cooperation with the Justice Ministry and other relevant institutions to address shortcomings and improve performance. 

For his part, Tal outlined the key findings of the report, including suggestions made to develop the performance of the judicial apparatus in cooperation with other stakeholders, according to the statement.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan attended the meeting.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Tal noted that the judicial authority's achievements included faster litigation within “a reasonable time”, in addition to posting judicial edicts of courts on websites.