Amman, Sept 7 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah II received, in two separate meetings on Monday, the annual reports on the Judicial Council and Sharia Courts, as well as their conduct of business for the year 2025.

During a meeting with Judicial Council President Mahmoud Ababneh, His Majesty was briefed on the status of the regular courts, the administrative judiciary, and the public prosecution, and called for continued advancement of the judicial system, highlighting the economic chambers as a priority for fostering a business-friendly environment to help stimulate investment.

The King emphasized expediting the specialized committee’s recommendations to modernize the judiciary, particularly to update legislation, infrastructure, and technology.

According to the regular courts’ status report, around 394,000 cases were settled, resolving approximately 85 per cent of the pending caseload, while collecting more than JD34 million.

Moreover, alternative options to custodial sentences and remand were used in more than 3,500 instances, while the juvenile justice system implemented non-custodial measures for more than 6,700 sentences.

His Majesty also met with Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Hafez Rabtah and Higher Sharia Court President Kamal Smadi to receive the Sharia Courts’ annual report for 2025.

The King commended the efforts of the Sharia Courts in raising the standard of Sharia justice, and the services provided to citizens, and in developing e-services.

According to the Sharia Courts’ report, 87 per cent of cases were settled or dismissed. Furthermore, 71 e-services were developed and launched across more than 55 Sharia Courts. The Sharia Courts’ family reconciliation and mediation offices helped to preserve the cohesion of more than 9,000 Jordanian families, and succeeded in resolving more than 35,000 cases of legal disputes through amicable settlements.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, and Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh attended the meetings.

//Petra//SS