Letter to Zaid Rifa'i entrusting him with leading a royal committee to develop judiciary and strengthen the rule of law

Your Excellency Zaid Rifai,

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you,

I am delighted to send you on this day my heartfelt greetings and wishes for continued success.

I have known you for many years — a true Jordanian dedicated to serving the nation in all the posts you held. You have always demonstrated the highest levels of responsibility, competency and ability to achieve envisioned goals.

Since assuming my constitutional duties, the judiciary has been a top priority and at the centre of our policies. We have always maintained that the judiciary plays a key role in protecting rights, serving justice and defending freedoms. As one of the three branches of government in Jordan, the judiciary is entrusted with cementing rule of law and the principles of justice, equality, and integrity as well as safeguarding citizens’ trust in state authorities and institutions.

Your Excellency,

A country’s ability to progress and prosper depends on the independence of its judiciary, its efficiency and ability to function within an integrated framework along other state institutions seeking to strengthen rule of law.

It is our firm belief that all citizens are equal before the law. They resort to laws, which apply to all without discrimination or nepotism. This guarantees that the values of justice, integrity and active citizenship are enshrined in our society. 

 

Throughout Jordan’s history, the independence of the judiciary has been well established and preserved. It is enshrined in our 1952 Constitution as a founding principle. The constitutional amendments of 2011 and 2016 further consolidated judicial independence. Accordingly, Jordan has always been widely reputed for its competent judiciary. The current stage requires doubling existing efforts and diligent work to enhance the capacities of the judiciary and enable it to develop continuously, function efficiently and embody the highest levels of integrity and justice. In this regard, it is crucial to build on previous efforts, namely the Royal Committee for Judicial Development established in 2000 and the ensuing strategies formulated to advance the judiciary.

Today, there is an urgent national priority to formulate a comprehensive strategy for judicial development and to advance judicial capacities. I have addressed this priority in my recent Sixth Discussion Paper. Accordingly, I entrust you with chairing a Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law, tasked with devising a comprehensive strategy to address challenges and continue efforts of development and modernisation to elevate the performance of the judiciary.

This mandate encompasses providing judges with proper capacities, enhancing their capabilities, endorsing standards of meritocracy and competency in judges’ appointments, transfers and promotions, as well as improving their overall conditions. The goal should be to provide a modern, institutional environment for the judicial authority and supporting apparatus, developing work processes in a qualitative manner, enhancing procedures and laws to improve litigation and the enforcement of rulings across all involved bodies, as well as empowering and advancing judicial oversight, inspection and training, while benefiting from best international practices.

Your Excellency,

I entrust you to lead the Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law, made up of the following members:

• President of the Judicial Council

• Minister of Justice

• H.E. Dr. Salaheddin Bashir 

• H.E. Mohammad Sharif Ali Zu'bi 

• H.E. Ayman Yahya Odeh

• Head of the Senate’s Legal Committee

• Head of the House of Representatives’ Legal Committee 

• President of the Jordan Bar Association

• H.E. Qasem Momani 

• H.E. Mohammad Ghazou

• Dr. Mahasen Mohammad Jaghoub

• Mr. Naseem Farhat Nasrawi

• Mr. Rajai Kamal Dajani

• Dr. Saad Mofleh Lozi (Rapporteur)

I look forward to receiving your recommendations within the first quarter of 2017, which should include proposed policies, action plans and suggested legislation.

Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein