The Parliamentary Committee on National Guidance and Media, chaired by Hussein Al-Amoosh, approved the draft amendment to the Official Gazette Law for 2025 during a meeting held on Sunday, attended by Minister of State for Legal Affairs Fayez Al-Qudah.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Amoosh stated that the committee endorsed the draft after thorough discussion, emphasizing that electronic publication of the Official Gazette’s content cannot be left to an employee without clear regulation, especially following the amendment that abolishes the position of Director of the Official Gazette.
For his part, Al-Qudah explained that the reasons behind the proposed amendments are to keep pace with technological advancements and speed up government procedures through the electronic publication of the Gazette’s contents.
He noted that abolishing the director’s position was for organizational purposes, and that the most recent version of the Official Gazette Law dates back to 1949, necessitating updates consistent with digital developments.
Electronic publication will be handled by a qualified employee, Al-Qudah added, pointing out that there is a plan to create a dedicated website for the Official Gazette. Access to the Gazette’s contents will be free of charge and is currently available through the Prime Ministry’s website.
The meeting was attended by MPs: Mohammad Al-Roud, Noor Abu Ghoush, Ahmad Al-Ruqab, Firas Al-Qabalan, Jihad Abwai, Mohammad Al-Sabayleh, Ahmad Al-Hmaisat, and Arwa Al-Hajaya.
On October 19, the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan, approved the draft amendment to the Official Gazette Law for 2025.
According to the statement of purpose, the draft law aims to keep up with legislative and technological developments, especially since the current law—issued in 1949—requires multiple updates. It also seeks to establish mechanisms to regulate the publication of the Official Gazette in line with digital advancements, given that it is now issued both in print and electronically.
The amendments give legal status to the electronic publication of the Official Gazette, granting it the same legal authority as the printed version, similar to practices adopted in various other legislations.
The changes also allow the Gazette to be issued by a decision of the Prime Minister whenever needed, in addition to the existing publication schedule.
In another context, the committee discussed its upcoming work plan. Al-Amoosh stressed that the plan is flexible and open to modification as needed, adding that the committee will meet with stakeholders and media experts to address challenges facing journalists and follow up on files handled by the previous committee.
The committee also unanimously elected MP Mohammad Al-Sabayleh as vice-chair and MP Arwa Al-Hajaya as rapporteur.
