The Lower House Monday passed a draft amendment to the Sharia courts formation law for the year 2023 during a session chaired by Speaker Ahmad Safadi and attended by cabinet ministers. The chamber approved the draft as it came from the Parliamentary Legal Committee, but made limited amendments during a lengthy debate, where lawmakers raised a number of proposals. The mandating reasons for the updated legislation came in line with constitutional amendments, which contained special provisions for appointing the president of the Higher Sharia Court, regulating the judicial inspection function and defining the special provisions and conditions of the Sharia judicial profession. The amendments include 13 articles of the Sharia courts formation law, which related to a judge’s age and qualifications, stipulating that the age of a judge at the time of appointment shall not exceed 55 years and shall hold a first university degree in jurisprudence or Sharia judiciary with a C grade as a minimum, or a second or third university degree majoring in jurisprudence or Sharia law with a B grade or above after obtaining a first university degree in Islamic law with a C grade or above. The draft also provides that a judge abide by the judicial code of conduct issued by the Judicial Council, and the council appoints a judge from among high-ranking judges as first inspector, and one or more judges of no less than second rank as Sharia courts inspector/s for a period not exceeding 4 years. Other provisions pertained to penalties against judges or termination of their service.
Source: Jordan News Agency