His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday stressed the need for coordination among all to implement the recommendations of the Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law within the proposed timelines.

King Abdullah, who chaired a follow-up meeting on the implementation of the committee’s recommendations, said the recommendations will entrench the independence, integrity, and efficiency of the Jordanian judiciary, and, consequently, enhance the rule of law.

His Majesty highlighted the importance of endorsing the laws proposed by the committee during Parliament’s upcoming extraordinary session, calling for providing the necessary capacities to enable the judiciary to undertake its responsibilities.

For his part, Prime Minister Hani Mulki said the Cabinet has endorsed the laws that were proposed by the committee and referred them to the House of Representatives for approval, where they are currently being discussed by the Legal Committee, which has approved three laws so far.

The government is cooperating and coordinating with the Judicial Council to implement the committee's recommendations, Mulki added.

The royal committee had analysed the situation of the judiciary, provided recommendations covering policies and main goals, presented executive programmes defined by timeframes, and proposed 16 pieces of legislation.

The recommendations included enhancing the independence of the judiciary, updating and developing judicial administration, developing criminal justice procedures, and updating measures for lawsuits and implementing court rulings.

His Royal Highness Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Senate President Faisal Fayez, Speaker of the House of Representatives Atef Tarawneh, Judicial Council President Mohammad Ghazou, and Justice Minister Awad Mashagbeh attended the meeting.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan were also in attendance.

Also on Sunday, the King met with the president and members of the Judicial Council at Al Husseiniya Palace.

During the meeting, attended by Prince Feisal, His Majesty reaffirmed his pride in the Jordanian judiciary, which is a cornerstone in entrenching the rule of law.

The King said the council has much to do, especially in terms of the recommendations of the Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law.

His Majesty stressed the need to prioritise accelerating litigation and the execution of court rulings, establishing specialised courtrooms, and ensuring the better utilisation of technology.

Improving the economic and investment environment cannot take place without effective and independent judiciary, the King noted.

His Majesty also underlined the importance of supporting judges and building their capacities.

For his part, Ghazou noted that the royal committee’s recommendations marked progress in identifying policies and goals for developing the judiciary, and through defining the required legislative amendments.

He noted that difficulties that face judiciary include understaffing and the need for specialised and highly qualified employees and new court buildings.

Ghazou stressed that once those difficulties are overcome, and the proposed laws are endorsed, there will be marked improvement in the performance of the judiciary and accelerating litigation.

The Royal Hashemite Court chief and the director of the Office of His Majesty also attended the meeting.