Parliament to hold joint session over two laws

AMMAN — The Senate on Monday endorsed the 2002 temporary agriculture law after introducing amendments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The law imposes stricter penalties and fines on violations related to forests, state-owned land and pastures, according to Petra.  

Meanwhile, Parliament will hold a joint session for both its Chambers on Thursday to resolve disputes over the draft illicit fortune and State Security Court (SSC) laws.

The two Houses have disagreed over a provision in the draft amendments to the SSC Law under which MPs excluded “resistance actions” against Israel from the court’s jurisdiction.

But senators decided in January to remove the said provision, arguing that it should be included under an anti-terrorism law instead.

The Upper House recommended then that the government submit a draft anti-terrorism law to specify the crimes that fall under the category of terrorism.

The amended SSC Law limits the jurisdiction of the court to five crimes specified in the Constitution: treason, espionage, terrorism, drugs and money counterfeiting.

Also during Thursday’s session, the two Chambers will discuss the draft illicit fortune law.

Last year, the MPs rejected the Senate’s amendments to the bill, insisting on their decision to annul the anti-illicit fortune department at the Justice Ministry and vesting its responsibilities in a judicial commission to be established for this purpose and function under the Judicial Council.

The new commission must be independent and include three judges as members, along with technocrats.

In addition, the two Houses have disagreed over the name of the draft law, with the MPs insisting on adding “from where did you get this?” to its original name, a step the Senate rejected, describing it as unnecessary and insubstantial.