Front Matter

Supporting rule of law from abroad: a comparative assessment of two post-Arab Spring judicial reforms

“…As in Morocco, the phase of modernization for Jordan began in 1999 with the death of King Hussein and the accession to the throne of King Abdullah II. The King launched a comprehensive plan for the development of the country; in the judicial realm, a Royal Committee for Judicial Development was established and a plan drawn up that mostly consisted of efficiency-inspired reforms (The World Bank Legal Review, 2014: 246). The plan was developed in two main tranches and saw a number of achievements that provided for the modernization of the judicial system, such as the automation and computerization of the functions of the MoJ, the modernization of systemic procedures within the Executive branch, and the enhancement of human resources in the administration of the courts.…”

“…Approved firstly in 2001, in its initial first version, the law did not conceive the creation of an independent Judicial Council; that was only created with the amendments of 2011, in the wake of the protests (Ibid.). The Judicial Upgrade Strategy (JUST) was a direct response to the work of the first Royal Committee for Judicial Upgrading (The World Bank Legal Review, 2014: 247). JUST followed the recommendations of the Committee that were directed towards efficientist reforms such as: the increasing of the number of judges, automatization of case management procedures, simplification of court proceedings through legislative amendments, and division between the courts in order to enhance the management of civil cases.…”