Cabinet embraces judicial reform suggestions

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday approved all the recommendations made by the Royal Committee for Reforming the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The report is to be sent to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, to start the implementation process, which includes new pieces of legislation and amendments to existing ones, said Petra.

The Cabinet stressed its commitment to implementing the recommendations of the committee including the strategic objectives, policies, executive programmes, and the proposed bills to enhance the role of judiciary in entrenching the rule of law.

The Council of Ministers commended the efforts of the committee, which worked for four months diagnosing the judicial system and working out solutions, to be in place six months from the time of the report’s release. 

The committee, established by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2016, was mandated with articulating a strategy to address the challenges facing the judicial reform process and improve legislation.

King Abdullah has said that the judiciary is a red line and that he would personally follow up on the implementation process. 

The committee presented its findings to the King last month, proposing changes to 13 laws and the introduction of four new bills and by-laws.

Also on Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the governmental plan to increase the use of e-services and automating the government’s procedures as part of the electronic government programme 2018- 2020.   

The King on Tuesday instructed the government to complete the programme by 2020, according to a Royal Court statement.

The King said reaching a “paperless government” has become a necessity and that “there was no justification or room for more delay in the matter”.