Lower House passes 2023 Right to Access Information, suggests amendment to Elections Law

AMMAN — The Lower House on Monday passed the 2023 amendments to the Right to Access Information, banning officials from disclosing any classified data or those with possible risks to state security.

Under the law, no information shall be disclosed if classified or deemed as posing threat to the security of the state and its foreign policy, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Article 12 of the draft law reads, "The official shall refrain from disclosing information related to documents received from another country that both parties have agreed to keep secret, as well as information that may harm national defence, state security or its foreign policy.”

The law also bans officials from sharing data with the press if the information is in forms of analysis, recommendations and proposals with no decision yet taken about it. 

Also during Monday’s session, MPs proposed an amendment to the Elections Law under a memorandum submitted by 104 deputies.

The amendment addresses the criteria for deciding winners in the local list according to the number of votes they receive and the number of seats allocated for the electoral district.

The chamber also passed the 2023 Social Development Law and referred the Audit Bureau report to its Financial Committee for review under urgency status, according Petra.

The 2023 amendments to the Social Development Law aim to empower the Ministry of Social Development to provide social protection and care to vulnerable groups cooperatively and equitably, Petra reported. 

The Audit Bureau report has 376 auditing outputs and includes 5,087 observations and violations.