Amman, June 17 (Petra) – The Cabinet approved the validating reasons
for an amending draft law of the Christian Communities Councils Law
for 2026, alongside a comprehensive overhaul of judicial expert
regulations, major sanitation grants, and new clean energy
agreements.

Christian Communities Councils Law Amendments
The amending draft law inserts specific clauses into Article 4 of the
original legislation to clarify personal status jurisdictions within
ecclesiastical courts. The draft explicitly delineates the mandate of
the Christian Communities Councils in alignment with Christian
religious tenets and the Jordanian Constitution to safeguard personal
status rights.

Initiated through a proposal by the Council of Church Leaders in
Jordan and coordinated with Christian members of the Senate and
Parliament, the amendment establishes that – notwithstanding any
other legislation – matters of marriage, divorce, wills, and adoption
are classified under personal status for Christian communities and
remain governed by their respective ecclesiastical laws.

Additionally, Article 10 will be adjusted to stipulate that relevant
statutory laws apply when regular or ecclesiastical courts review
cases involving immovable property located in the Kingdom, whether
left with or without a will. Existing legal positions established
prior to the enforcement of these provisions remain unaffected.

Judicial Expert System Reform
The Cabinet also approved the validating reasons for the 2026
Judicial Expertise Regulations Before Regular Courts. The draft
aligns with the Economic Modernization Vision and the national
digital transformation strategy to modernize institutional frameworks
for expert witnesses.

The new system establishes a dedicated Expertise Bureau within the
courts to manage administrative operations, track expert performance,
and accelerate case resolution. It also introduces full digital
integration by launching a comprehensive electronic registry for
approved experts on the Ministry of Justice website, enabling
electronic filing for complaints, notices, and objections.

To ensure high professional standards, the regulation introduces a
sworn-expert system, creates a legal framework for highly specialized
or rare disciplines, and permits corporate entities to act as
certified experts under specific criteria. Accountability is
maintained through a strictly ordered roster system for assigning
experts to ensure impartiality, a centralized ledger account for fee
management, and a disciplinary committee empowered to issue warnings,
suspensions, or registry removals. Furthermore, direct communication
between a designated expert and any litigation party outside
authorized legal channels is strictly banned to preserve neutrality.

Infrastructure & Green Energy Development
In the utility sector, the Cabinet approved a EUR 25 million European
Union grant agreement executed through the French Development Agency
(AFD). The funding will finance the expansion of the Madaba
Wastewater Treatment Plant and the rehabilitation of its sanitation
networks. The project will expand the plant’s capacity to 16,000
cubic meters per day, serving approximately 200,000 residents and
generating treated water for restricted agricultural irrigation.

Furthermore, ministers approved a land-use agreement with the Chinese
firm United Energy Group (UEG) to finalize feasibility studies for a
green hydrogen production project in Jordan. The venture supports
Jordan’s framework to attract foreign direct investment in low-carbon
fuels and position the country as a regional hub for green industries
and ammonia derivatives.

Administrative Appointments
The Cabinet concluded by approving the retirement of the Director
General of the Social Security Corporation, Jadallah Al-Khalayleh,
and appointing Hazem Tayseer Al-Rahahleh as the corporation’s new
Director General.

//Petra// AA