The Structure of Public Administration in Jordan: A Constitutional and Administrative Law Perspective
![handle is hein.journals/arablq14 and id is 107 raw text is: THE STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
IN JORDAN: A CONSTITUTIONAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW PERSPECTIVE
Abd El-Mahdi Massadeh*
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Jordan is a newly established country. Before its establishment it was part of the
Ottomon state.1 It was put under a British mandate at the end of the First World
War and proclaimed as Trans-Arab Emirate in 1921 with the consent of the
British Empire.2 In 1927 the Jordanian state was named Trans-Jordan Emirate
and its first Basic Act was published in 1928.3 In 1946 it was proclaimed as
The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan and declared independent of British rule.4
In 1947 another new Constitution was enacted. It remained in force until it was
abolished by the Constitution of 1952, now in force with amendments.5 In 1950
Trans-Jordan and the West Bank were united under the same name. The 1952
Constitution reaffirmed this unity by stating that the Kingdom was constituted
from East Jordan and West Jordan Bank.6
In 1967, however, the West Bank was occupied by Israel, and the East Bank,
only, remained under the Kingdom's rule.7 In 1988, the King, in compliance with
the Al-Ribat Arab Summit Declaration in 1974, announced that legal and
administrative ties with the West Bank were dissolved. His Majesty reaffirmed his
commitment to peace and stated that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, the
sole legitimate representative for Palestinians, was, from now on, responsible for
peace negotiations with Israel and, accordingly, should take political decisions
concerning the Palestinians' future and their own destiny. This political decision
by the King, The legal and administration disengagement with the West Bank
Declaration was, immediately, put into effect. The 1989 and 1993 House of
* Head, School of Law - Yarmouk University, Jordan.
For more details see, Mohammad A. Al-Salah, Trans-Jordan Imerat Administration, 1921-1946,
Dar Al-Mallahi Press 1st edn, 1985, 23-27.
2 Ibid., p. 37.
3 Ahmed A. Al-Qodah and others, Jordan: Truth and Figures, Press and Publication Department,
1995, 41.
4 Ibid., at p. 47.
5 Aumer A. AI-Shoubaki, Government Administration and Democracy in Jordan, Institute of Public
Administration, Amman, 1995, at 0.7.
6 Ahmed A. Al-Qodah and others, loc. cit., p. 41.
7 Nader A. Abu-Shakeh, Public Administration in Jordan, 1st edn, 1985, p. 93.
Arab Law Quarterly, [1999] 91-111](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/arablq14&div=17&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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The Structure of Public Administration in Jordan: A Constitutional and Administrative Law Perspective
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