Beirut: Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, Maha Ali, and Commissioner-General for Human Rights, Jamal Shamayleh, participated in a regional workshop titled "Family Courts in the Arab World: Current Conditions, Challenges, and Ways to Improve Them," held in Beirut, Lebanon.
According to Jordan News Agency, a statement issued Wednesday revealed that the event was organized by the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace and the Norwegian Center for Human Rights at the University of Oslo. It aimed to enhance the judiciary's role through improved judicial administration, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring fair and efficient trials.
The two-day workshop brought together representatives from judicial bodies, religious courts, human rights institutions, and civil society organizations from Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The goal was to assess current realities, identify key challenges, and develop practical recommendations to improve judicial capacity and efficiency.
During a session focused on integrating human rights principles into family court practices, Ali emphasized the Commission's role in proposing legislation and policies that safeguard women's rights, particularly in Sharia court proceedings, in accordance with the Jordanian Constitution.
Ali reviewed constitutional provisions affirming the family as the foundation of society while guaranteeing women's empowerment and protection from violence and discrimination. She highlighted significant legislation, including the 2017 Domestic Violence Protection Law and the Alimony Loan Fund Regulation No. 48 of 2015, which protect women's rights and ensure financial justice.
Ali also stressed the necessity for gender-sensitive court infrastructure, increased female judicial representation, and public awareness of legal rights, acknowledging the efforts of civil society in providing free legal and psychosocial support.
Shmayleh, on his part, underscored the importance of integrating a rights-based approach into family courts, noting that personal status issues reflect the balance between individual rights and social values. He emphasized the role of the National Center for Human Rights in monitoring and developing legislation to align with constitutional and international human rights standards.
He called for strengthened justice in cases involving women, children, and the elderly, and for streamlining litigation procedures to ensure timely resolution while protecting litigants' dignity. The Center, he added, has worked to integrate international human rights standards into training courses for relevant stakeholders, covering areas such as fair trial guarantees, the right of access to justice, and raising awareness of international conventions.