AMMAN — The
Lower House successfully passed the draft cybercrime
law following an extensive six-hour debate on Thursday.
اضافة اعلان
The Lower House conducted two sessions, one in the morning
and another in the evening, both presided over by
Lower House Speaker Ahmad Safadi.
Prime Minister, Bisher Al-Khasawneh, and several members of
the government team were also present during these sessions.
The next step involves the Senate's review of the law's
articles, with a session scheduled for the following Tuesday.
Drawing in criticism
While the
new law received criticism from some members of
parliament who believed it could impinge on public and journalistic freedoms, a
majority of the larger parliamentary team deemed it "good" due to the
reduction of penalties by the Legal Committee in the Lower House.
The proponents of the law argue that it is crucial to curb
any potential
"abuse" against individuals in the digital domain.
Heated discussions during the session revolved around the
possibility of increasing penalties prescribed in the draft law. However, most
deputies expressed their support for the recommendations put forward by the
committee.
Particular attention was given to articles 15 and 17, which
caused controversy among the lawmakers. These articles focused on regulating
"false news" and their corresponding penalties, which the parliament
sought to limit to only those instances that could adversely impact social
peace and national security.
Addressing the concerns surrounding the draft law, Khasawneh
stated that the government did not view it as a threat to fundamental freedoms
or a violation of the constitution. He assured that the government remains
"completely open to any
form of criticism."
Khasawneh emphasized the novelty of the law in regulating
and defining punishments for actions in the electronic space. He clarified that
the law does not infringe upon or diminish the
fundamental freedoms protected by the Jordanian constitution. Instead, its primary aim is to address issues
related to penalizing actions in the digital realm, which already fall under
the purview of existing legislation like the Penal Code, which has been in effect
since the 1960s.
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