The Status of International Law in Jordan

Abstract

International treaties and customary international law are the most important sources of international law. They have special legal force at the national level, and they are applicable in the legal systems and invocable in the courts of states. However, some states give international law, or certain types of international law like treaties, the status of higher law in their legal systems, while some states give international treaties legal force higher or equal to the Constitution itself. This article examines the status of international law in the Jordanian legal and judicial systems. It confirms that treaties and customary international law have the force of law and able to be invoked before the Jordanian courts. How international law is applied and how the Jordanian courts deal with arguments based on international law are examined in the article. The article argues that the application of international law, mainly international human rights treaties, in the Jordanian legal system can be directly effective, and international treaties and customary rules of international law can be invoked before the Jordanian courts.