Official Gazette

We, Abdullah II, Ibn Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,

By virtue of Article (31) of the Constitution, and upon decisions adopted by both the House of Notables and the House of Deputies, do hereby ratify the following Law and order its promulgation and incorporation into the body of Laws of the State: 

Law No. (51) for the Year 2006

National Center for Human Rights Law

Article 1:    This law shall be called “National Center for Human Rights Law” and shall become effective as of the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 2:    The following words and expressions, wherever they appear herein, shall have the meanings designated thereto hereunder, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Article 3:    (A) A center, called “The National Center for Human Rights” shall be established in the Kingdom as a legal personality enjoying financial and administrative independence. In this capacity, the Center may exercise the full right of legal disposal, including drawing of contracts and ownership of movable and immovable properties, and resort to the Judiciary for litigation.

(B) The Chairman shall represent the Center before others and, upon a decision by the Board, he may delegate any Board member or the Commissioner General to act in his behalf for this purpose, or appoint a lawyer to represent the Center in legal and administrative procedures.

(C) The Center shall have its headquarters in the City of Amman and may establish branches and open offices anywhere in the Kingdom. 

Article 4:    The Center shall aim to achieve the following:

(A) Enhance the principles of human rights in the Kingdom and shall be inspired in doing so by the tolerant message of Islam, the values inherent in Arab-Islamic heritage, the rights stipulated in the Constitution, and the principles emphasized in international charters and covenants. 

(B) Participate in efforts aimed at promoting human rights principles in Jordan at the intellectual and practice levels, as well as non-discrimination between citizens because of race, language, religion or gender.

(C) Enhance the democratic process in the Kingdom with a view to creating an integrated, balanced model based on spreading freedoms, guaranteeing political pluralism, respecting the sovereignty of the law and guaranteeing the right to economic, social and cultural development.

(D) Endeavor for the Kingdom’s accession to Arab and international human rights charters and conventions. 

Article 5:    The Center shall employ the following means and methods in its quest to achieve its objectives:

(A) Verifying that human rights are being observed in the Kingdom when addressing any transgressions or violations thereof and following up on the adoption of the necessary measures for that purpose, including settlement of said transgressions or violations or referral to the Executive or Legislative Power or the competent legal authority in order to put an end thereto and eliminate the effects thereof.

(B) Endeavoring to include human rights principles, especially as stipulated in Islam, in the curricula of the different educational levels.

(C) Declaring positions and issuing statements related to human rights issues in the Kingdom.

(D) Conducting legal, political, social, educational, and intellectual studies and researches related to the Center’s objectives.

(E) Organizing lectures, seminars, and conferences pertaining to the Center’s objectives and participating in similar activities, provided that the provisions of the relevant valid laws are being observed. 

(F) Organizing training courses, seminars educational sessions.

(G) Issuing human rights-related statements, bulletins and periodical and non-periodical publications. 

(H) Participating in television and radio programs, panel discussions and interviews, as well as in the preparation of press materials.

(I) Exchanging information and experiences with similar national, Arab, and Islamic associations and organizations, as well as regional and international institutions.

(J) Making recommendations and submitting proposals necessary for safeguarding human rights in the Kingdom.

(K) Establishing a database of information related to human rights.

(L) Proposing legislation related to the Center’s objectives.

Article 6:    (A) The Center shall enjoy complete independence in undertaking its human rights-related intellectual, political and humanitarian activities and functions. Furthermore, the Board or any of its members shall not be held accountable for the measures taken within the Center’s competences specified herein.

(B) The Center’s headquarters and its braches in the Kingdom may be searched only with a judicial writ and in the presence of the competent public prosecutor, provided the Center is notified of any such searches and a representative of the Center is invited to attend the search. Any action in conflict therewith shall be invalid.

Article 7:    The Center shall monitor transgressions of human rights and public freedoms in the Kingdom and shall strive to halt any such transgressions.

Article 8:    The Center may request any information, data, or statistics it sees necessary for the realization of its objectives from the concerned parties, which shall respond without delay to such requests. 

Article 8:    If the violation of human rights is perpetrated by a public employee, the Center may notify the official party to which the said employee is attached and request adoption of the suitable legal measures against him.

Article 10:  The Center has the right to:

(A) Visit reform and rehabilitation centers, detention centers and juvenile care homes and shall do so according to proper rules. 

(B) Visit any public place, which has been reported to be the venue of past or present transgressions of human rights.

Article 11:  The Center shall put itself under obligation to the following:

(A) Maintain the confidentiality of the sources of all the information, data and documents it receives and do so at the request of the provider thereof or in cases that call for such confidentiality.

(B) Abstain from using the data and information it obtains in ways other than realizing its objectives.

(C) Disregard any anonymous complaint that does not include the name, signature and address of the sender or one that involves abuse of the right to lodge complaints. 

Article 12:  The Center shall compile an annual report on the situation of human rights and public freedoms in the Kingdom and shall submit said report to the House of Notables, the House of Deputies and the Council of Ministers.

Article 13:  (A) The Center shall be supervised and managed by a Board of Trustees of no more than 21 members, whose Chairman and members are appointed by Royal Decree at the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

(B) The Board shall elect from among its members a Deputy Chairman who deputizes for the Chairman during his absence.

(C) The Board shall serve for a term of four years.

Article 14:  The Board shall undertake the following tasks:  

(A) Draw and monitor the implementation of the Center’s general policy.

(B) Examine and adopt the Center’s annual plan of action.

(C) Approve the ways and means for developing the Center and activating and evaluating its activities.

(D) Examine and adopt the annual report on human rights in the Kingdom.

(E) Strive for the development of the Center’s sources of income.

(F) Discuss and adopt decisions on issues and matters referred to the Center by the Commissioner General. 

(G) Document the Center’s relations with similar institutions and centers.

(H) Adopt the Center’s draft general budget and financial statements and appoint an auditor for the Center.

(I) Issue instructions necessary for managing the Center, as well as its branches and committees, including regulations pertaining to administrative and financial affairs that do not contradict with the provisions of the law.

(J) Supervise the Center’s different activities and functions in the area of human rights.

Article 15:  (A) The Board meets once a month at the invitation of the Chairman or, in his absence, of his Deputy. The meeting shall have quorum in the presence of at least two thirds of the Board members, provided the Chairman or his deputy is present. The Board adopts its decisions by the votes of at least two thirds of those present.

(B) The Board of Trustees may delegate any of its competences to the Chairman or any of the Board’s committees or members.

(C) At the recommendation of the Chairman, the Board shall appoint a Secretary, who shall organize the Board’s meetings, record its decision and file its documents and other legal papers.

(D) The Board shall select from among its members a Treasurer, who shall supervise financial records and accounts, organize payment and receipt vouchers, and sign payment vouchers together with the Chairman or the Commissioner General. 

Article 16:  (A) The Commissioner General shall be appointed by decision of the Council of Ministers at the recommendation of the Board for a three-year renewable term, provided the appointment is coupled with a Royal Decree. The services of the Commissioner General shall be terminated by the same procedure.     

(B) The Commissioner General shall be responsible before the Board for the performance of his tasks and shall be assisted by a number of full-time commissioners appointed by the Board at the recommendation of the Chairman. The Commissioner General may delegate some of his authorities to any of the commissioners, should the circumstances require it.  

Article 17:  The Commissioner General shall undertake all the tasks stipulated herein, especially the following:

(A) Applying the Center’s general policy and following up on the Board’s decisions.

(B) Monitoring transgressions and violations of human rights and public freedoms in the Kingdom, receiving complaints, and making the necessary follow-up arrangements thereon.

(C) ٍUsing the different ways and means to end cases of transgression of human rights and public freedoms in the Kingdom.

(D) Following up on complaints and cases of human rights violations until such complaints are settled, as well as notifying the complainant or the concerned person of the complaint’s outcome, and documenting and incorporating complaints in the Center’s annual report.

(E) Exploiting the different communication media to acquaint citizens with their rights, guaranteed by the Constitution and valid laws, as well as by international charters and covenants, and help them in taking the measures that will safeguard these rights against infringement, including familiarizing the complainant or concerned person with the ways and means of appeal and legal review.

(F) Defraying expenses arising from adopting measures pertaining to ending violation of the complainant’s rights in case the complainant has been proven to be poor and the necessary funds therefor are available in the Center’s budget.

(G) Any authorities, which the Board may delegate to him in accordance with the present Law or regulations issued by the virtue thereof.

Article 18:  (A) The Secretariat is the Center’s executive body and is headed by the Commissioner General, who shall manage and supervise the Center. 

(B) The Secretariat’s employees are appointed and their salaries and all their rights are determined by a Board decision at the recommendation of the Commissioner General in accordance with the Center’s valid regulations. 

Article 19:  The Secretariat shall exercise the following authorities:

(A) Strive to achieve the Center’s objectives by the means stipulated in the present Law and may form specialized committees to undertake specific tasks in order to achieve said objectives.

(B) Supervise the Center’s different activities and functions in the area of human rights.

(C) Prepare the Center’s annual plan of action.

(D) Supervise the Center’s organizational, administrative and financial affairs, including personnel affairs.

(E)Manage and invest the Center’s funds and movable and immovable assets in accordance with the bases approved by the Board of Trustees.

(F) Prepare the annual report, the Center’s financial and administrative reports, and any other reports pertaining to the Center’s work and objectives.

(G) Prepare the draft general budget, as well as the final accounts.

Article 20:  The Center’s financial resources shall consist of the following:

(A) Financial support provided by the Government.

(B) Proceeds of the financial and cultural activities and projects undertaken by the Center.

(C) Donations, grants and any other resources approved by the Board in accordance with the provisions of the Law, provided the Council of Ministers approves such resources if their origin is foreign.

(D) Wills and Waqf endowments.

Article 21:  Despite the provisions of any other legislation, the Center, as well as its funds, transactions and non-investment revenues, shall be exempt of all taxes and fees of whatever type.

Article 22:  The Board of Trustees shall issue the regulations necessary for the implementation of the present Law.

Article 23:  The Prime Minister, as well as members of the Cabinet, shall be charged with the implementation of the provisions of the present Law.

19 September 2006

Abdullah II, Ibn Al-Hussein