Law 22 Amending the Law on Societies

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Document Information:

  • Year:
  • Country: Jordan
  • Language: English
  • Document Type: Domestic Law or Regulation
  • Topic:

This law shall be named “”The Law Amending the Law on Societies”
and shall be read with Law No. 51 of 2008 referred to herein as the “Original Law” as one law and shall be effective as of the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Article (3):
Article (3) of the Original Law shall be amended as follows:
First: Paragraph (a) shall be deleted and replaced by the following text:
a. For the purposes of this law:
1. “”Society”” shall mean any legal personality composed of a group of people not less than seven and is registered in consistency with the provisions of this law to provide services or undertake activities on voluntary basis without intending to make or share profit, attain advantages for any of its members or a specific person or achieve any political gains in the course of its work subject to the effective legislations.
2. “”A Private Society”” shall mean the society which membership is limited to a group of people not less than three and not more than twenty.
3. “”A Closed Society”” is the society which membership is limited to one person or more, having its financial resources limited to those provided by a founding member for the purposes that enable fulfilling its established goals.
Second: Paragraph (d) shall be deleted and replaced by the following:
d. No society with illegal goals or with purposes contradicting with the public system in the Kingdom may be registered.

Article (4):
Article (4) of the Original Law shall be deleted and replaced by articles 4 and 5 as follows:
Article (4):
a. The Ministry shall create a registry called “”the Societies Registry”” to be administered and supervised by a council called “”the Registry Administration Council”” chaired by the Minister and involving:
1. Registrar (deputy chairman)
2. Representative of the Ministry of Interior
3. Representative of the Ministry of Culture
4. Representative of the Ministry of Tourism and Archeology
5. Representative of the Ministry of Environment
6. Representative of the Ministry of Political development.
7. Four experienced figures in the field of charity or voluntary work appointed by the Cabinet based on the Minister’s recommendation for two renewable years. The membership of any of them can be terminated and replacement may be appointed following the same method.
b. The Cabinet, based on the Minister’s recommendation, may add a representative from any other ministry related to the societies activity.
c. The competent minister shall nominate the Ministry’s representative as indicated in 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of paragraph (a) and in paragraph (b) of this article from the employees of the first degree and not below the second degree.
d. The Deputy Chairman may replace the chairman upon absence.
e. The Council shall set, by approval of the Cabinet, special guidelines showing the basis for determination of the competent ministry for each society.

Article (5):
a. The Council shall undertake the following tasks and competencies:
1. Approving the registration of societies and defining the competent ministry as per the established guidelines.
2. Evaluating the societies’ performance and activities in coordination with the relevant ministries and issuing an annual report on the status of societies in the Kingdom.
3. Drawing the required plans and programs to upgrade the societies’ conditions and help them attain their goals and targets.
4. Administering, supervising and following up the Fund’s affairs.
5. Forming one or more committees to amicably settle disputes between the societies.
6. Issuing the necessary instructions to regulate the work of the Registry and coordinate the relationship between the registrar and the competent ministries according to the provisions of this law and the regulations enacted there from.
b. The Council shall convene by an invitation of its chairman at least once a month and whenever needed. The meeting shall be deemed valid upon the attendance of no less than two thirds of the members including the chairman or the deputy. Decisions are to be taken by the majority of votes. Upon equal voting, the side for which the chairman of the meeting gave his vote shall be outweighed.
c. The registrar shall be appointed by a resolution of the Cabinet based on the Minister’s nomination bearing a general secretary degree and shall be affiliated to the Minister provided that the appointment resolution is approved by a royal decree.

Article [5]:
Article (5) of the Original Law shall be deleted and replaced by the following text under the number [6]:
Article (6):
a. The registrar shall carry out the following tasks and powers:
1. Receiving and examining the requests for societies registration either directed to him or sent by other Ministry branches in governorates and provinces and presenting them to the Council.
2. Registering societies in the entry, issuing a registration certificate for each and publishing the registration ad in the official gazette.
3. Supervising the registry, running it and following up all the correspondences and dealings related thereof.
4. Receiving any society-related complaints, referring them to the competent ministry and following them up afterwards.
5. Any other tasks and competencies assigned by the Council or the Chairman.
b. The Ministry’s General Secretary may undertake the tasks of the registrar upon absence.