Open Records Laws › Jordan

Jordan

Law No. 47 of 2007 on Securing the Right to Information Access

Law No. 47 of 2007 on Securing the Right to Information Access (قانون ضمان حق الحصول على المعلومات)

RTI Rating: 56 (source)

Response Timeline

Initial Response
30 days
Residency Required
Citizen

Response must be provided within 30 days from the date following request submission. Calendar days are used. No extensions permitted. Failure to respond within the deadline is considered a rejection.

How to Submit a Request

Accepted Methods

  • {'notes': 'Must use the approved form designated by the Information Council', 'method': 'written_form'}

Requests must be submitted using the official form approved by the Information Council. Requester must demonstrate a lawful interest or justification for the information sought.

Required Elements

  • Requester's name
  • Requester's domicile (address)
  • Requester's profession
  • Any other data deemed necessary by the Information Council
  • Lawful interest or justification for the request

Fees

Application fees are constitutionally prohibited. The first 10 pages are provided free of charge. Additional reproduction and delivery costs are set centrally by Prime Minister decree per Article 18, though implementation varies by department creating inconsistency.

Exemptions

  • Secrets under other legislation
    Information protected as secret under other laws, including Protection of State Secrets and Documents Law No. 50 of 1971
  • International agreements
    Documents classified as confidential under international agreements
  • National defense and security
    Classified information regarding national defense, state security, and foreign policy
  • Discrimination information
    Information that could incite religious, racial, ethnic, sexual, or color-based discrimination
  • Government correspondence
    Confidential correspondence between government entities and foreign countries/organizations
  • Commercial and economic information
    Commercial, industrial, and economic information; intellectual property rights
  • Investigations
    Information about pending prosecutorial and judicial investigations
  • Banking and medical records
    Banking and medical records
  • Other legislatively protected information
    Any other information protected by legislation

All Article 13 exemptions are mandatory (officials "shall refrain from disclosure"), but officials have broad discretion in determining what qualifies as classified or protected. No harm test is required—exemptions apply categorically without proving actual harm from disclosure. CRITICAL WEAKNESS: No public interest override provision exists; even information revealing corruption or human rights violations can be withheld if it falls within an exemption category. Other laws can override RTI protections entirely per Article 13(a). Previously unclassified information can be reclassified in response to requests. RTI Rating score: 10/30 on exceptions, 0/4 on public interest override.

Appeal Process

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Jordan's appeals system has critical weaknesses that severely limit access to information. There is NO internal administrative review mechanism. The Information Council (established under Article 3) hears complaints but its decisions are NOT binding, fundamentally undermining its oversight role. The Council lacks independence - most members are government-elected, with representatives from Army, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Justice alongside newer civil society representatives. Judicial review is available through the High Administrative Court or Supreme Court of Justice within 30 days, but high litigation costs and delays make this impractical for most requesters. The law scored poorly in the RTI Rating due to the non-binding nature of Council decisions and lack of genuine independence in the oversight body.

Sources & References