IMPROVING CRIMINAL LAW IN JORDAN: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

AUTHOR – DR. AMAL KHALAF SUFHAN AL-HABASHNEH, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CRIMINAL LAW, FACULTY OF LAW/ AL – ISRA UNIVERSITY. EMAIL – AMAL.ALHABASHNA@IU.EDU.JO

BEST CITATION – DR. AMAL KHALAF SUFHAN AL-HABASHNEH, IMPROVING CRIMINAL LAW IN JORDAN: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES”, ILE INTERNATIONAL LAW REVIEW, 2 (1) OF 2024, PG. 84-97, APIS – 3920 – 0021 | ISSN – 2583-8172.

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the crucial issues and challenges pertinent to the evolution of criminal law in Jordan. Often, the challenges overshadow what can be considered the varied prospects and opportunities for positively affecting the legal and political responses to these challenges. This paper investigates in detail the changes in values espoused by the laws concerning crimes detailed in the Jordanian code, with a particular emphasis on new areas, or areas of particular concern such as computer and internet crimes and cyber attacks. Jordan is not alone in these concerns; what interests the authors of this paper is not only the challenges, but the level and extent of commitment to attempting to overcome these challenges. In developing a contemporary approach to these matters, it is hoped that a means of providing better human rights protections and concerns for justice can be addressed.The establishment of criminal departments within the courts is an aspect of a response to past developments. Recent commentators and current Jordanian officials see the need for further development in this area. Jordanian law continues to potentially lead to mechanisms that allow for the criminalization of conduct which leaves the population vulnerable to large-scale violations of human rights. This leads the Jordanian legal system to be a large part of that form of socialization of society which is similar to coercion. It is argued within this paper that the strategies of anticipated change are quite symbolic and minor, and that the underlying aspects of the system remain in need of further development. Societies where individuals continue to be marked by social, political, and economic inequality and lack of opportunities are those where there are high rates of crime. A major challenge in applying criminal laws in a modern Jordanian state that has prosperity for all is that such applications can expose the inherent vulnerabilities of the system. It is not surprising then that, in practice, the social issues are the most difficult to address. It follows that, in theory, they should be the most important, since the impact of criminal laws in this area affects the everyday experience of the majority of the population. It is hoped that this paper, in addition to analyzing the possibilities for changing the Jordanian criminal code and its application, will help to support incremental steps in the right direction. This dissemination of information is part of the opportunity that is discussed in the paper.