Jordan Times
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Senate endorses several temporary laws
AMMAN (Petra) — In its session held Tuesday, the Senate endorsed the temporary King Abdullah Development Fund Law after introducing a number of changes to its provisions.The fund offers loans to help citizens start pioneering projects as part of the Kingdom's comprehensive development plan.
The Senate also approved the Reform and Rehabilitation Centres Law, which calls for proper inspection of these centres and bans detaining suspects in such centres without a warrant issued by an authority entitled to order such detention. The law also prohibits keeping detainees in these centres after the detention period expires.
The temporary law guarantees inmates proper treatment, healthcare and rehabilitation programmes and facilitates their vocational and academic education.
It allows women inmates to keep their infants with them till they are two years old, and permits inmates in general to meet their spouses and first-degree relatives in privacy. They are also allowed to attend funerals of family members under guard.
In addition, the Senate endorsed the Civil Status Law, and the Jordanian Flags Law.
Meanwhile, the Lower House announced it will discuss a number of temporary amended laws on tourism, national construction and public transport, among other issues on the agenda, today.
Also on Tuesday, the Lower House Agriculture and Water Committee went over the temporary Amended Water Authority Law. Members listened to experts' opinions on the legislation and decided to call Minister of Water and Irrigation and Minister of Agriculture Hazem Nasser to respond to questions raised over the legislation at the next meeting.