A Workshop Organized by the al-Urdon Al-Jadid Research Center on the Assemblage Law

Khreis: We are going back to the era of Martial Law without this being publicly declared.

The Human Rights Program at the Al-Urdon Al-Jadid Research Center (UJRC) organized a workshop entitled "The Temporary Assemblage Law: Scenarios for its Application and it's constitutional illegality".

The main working papers was presented by the Professor of LawA Mr. Sameeh Khreis and it discussed the Temporary Assemblage Law No. (45) for the year 2001. Following a presentation of the historical right to assemble, as one of the major rights of public freedom, Mr. Khreis explained that the Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan issued in 1952, and by virtue of Article (16/1) gave the Jordanian people the right to assemble within the boundaries of the Law, and stipulate that the phrase "within the boundaries of the law" means that the law should support the right to assemble and not put a limit to it.

While indicating the negative aspects of this temporary law, Mr. Khreis said that Article (3) of the Law is not consistent with the Constitutional rights because the approval of the Administrative Governor is required in order to hold a meeting, and Article (7) grants the Administrative Governor unlimited rights to cancel or separate a meeting, and that the law contains provisions that impose sever punishment. Mr. Khreis then continued to say that this temporary law takes us back to the times of Marital Law, but without this being blatantly declared.

Mr. Khreis also questioned the constitutional legality of this law and considered it a form of injustice the Government is imposing by using its authority, stressing that from a legal point of view this law can be contested in the Higher Court of Justice, and requests can be made to nullify it.

Several prominent lawyers and legal experts participated in this workshop, and stated during their discussions, that the temporary law is unjustifiable even under the circumstances that the region is witnessing, on the contrary such a step defies the principles of the Great Arab Revolt and the Arab dimension of the Jordanian constitution. Additionally calling this law "temporary" is constitutionally unjustified, and totally contradicts the legal doctrine.