Senates pass 2024 general pardon draft law

AMMAN — The Senate on Thursday passed the draft of the general pardon law 2024 as referred from the Lower House with no amendments.

The draft law covers a wide range of crimes, misdemeanours, violations, and offences committed before March 19th, and includes the annulment of criminal charges and all associated penalties, such as fines and fees, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The draft law, however, exempts 38 specific offences, including crimes related to state security, terrorism, firearms, illicit drugs and human trafficking, as well as fines associated with income, sales taxes, and customs.

The Senate also approved the draft law for the amended agreement concerning the rehabilitation, expansion, and operation of Queen Alia International Airport. The agreement, originally signed between the Jordanian government and the International Airport Group company in 2007 for 25 years, will now be extended for an additional five years until 2037.

"This extension is part of a settlement in which the investor relinquished financial claims amounting to millions of dinars against the government. In return, the investor committed to undertaking expansion projects", said the Minister of State for Legal Affairs Nancy Namrouqah.

Namrouqah also said that these claims were prompted by the government’s violation of the agreement regarding the civil aviation fee system, the imposition of departure taxes, and subsequent increases.

The session, chaired by Senate President Faisal Fayez and attended by the Cabinet, also included a moment of silence in memory of the late former senator Tareq Adeldeen, who passed away on Thursday.