Oct 27 2016
The rule of law in Jordan
    
By Daoud Kuttab
His Majesty King Abdullah hit the nail on the head when he focused his Sixth Discussion Paper on the need to respect and abide by the rule of law.
The rule of law is not a new concept. It basically means that law, a written clearly stated law, should govern the country, as opposed to arbitrary decisions by government officials.
Some trace the concept of the rule of law to the 16th century Britain; others go back to the ancient philosopher Aristotle who wrote that “law should governâ€.
But how do we apply this concept in today’s Jordan?
To begin with, it is important to understand, as the King stated, that loyalty and devotion “remain abstract and theoretical in the absence of respect to lawsâ€.
This means that if you speak and sing praises to country while not respecting the law, you are much worse than a person who is critical of the country but respects its laws.
If accepted correctly, this would wipe out an entire class of individuals who constantly clap and sing the country’s praises but are often the first to ask for wasta and exceptions to the law. Continue Reading »