bills · marquee MENA legislation
Bills
Constitutional acts, anti-terror laws, executive decrees, and major reform packages that have shaped MENA political-position space. Most party-position scores reference bills implicitly — Israel's Nation-State Law is part of why Likud scores strongly against pan-Arabism; Saudi Vision 2030 is part of why MBS reads as a modernization outlier. This page is the explicit list, with sources.
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Syria Mar 13 Transitional Constitutional Declaration
Constitution EnactedFive-year transitional constitution issued by Ahmad al-Sharaa establishing the legal framework for post-Assad Syrian governance. Names Islam as the religion of the head of state and Islamic jurisprudence as a main source of legislation.
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Morocco Feb 5 Organic Law 97.15 on the Exercise of the Right to Strike
Law EnactedFirst organic law to regulate the constitutionally guaranteed right to strike in Morocco, pushed through by the RNI-led Akhannouch government after the dossier had stalled since 2016. Final adoption by the House of Representatives on 5 February 2025 (84 in fav…
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Iraq Jan 21 Personal Status Law Amendment (2025)
Law Passed & signedAmendment empowering Iraq's Shia and Sunni religious endowments to handle personal-status matters (marriage, custody) — moving family law away from the 1959 unified civil code.
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Kuwait May 10 Emiri Decree Dissolving National Assembly (2024)
Emergency decree EnactedEmiri decree by Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad dissolving the elected Kuwaiti National Assembly and suspending parts of the constitution for up to four years. Ended Kuwait's tradition of the most vocal elected parliament in the GCC.
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Israel Feb 25 2024 Amendments to Prevention of Infiltration Law
Law EnactedIsraeli legislative amendments extending and intensifying the legal framework for prolonged detention of irregular migrants — primarily African asylum seekers in Tel Aviv. Empowered indefinite administrative detention without judicial review.
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Jordan Aug 12 Cybercrimes Law 2023
Law EnactedReplaces Jordan's 2015 cybercrime law with significantly expanded criminal provisions: vague offenses like "spreading false news," "stirring up sedition," "undermining national unity," or "contempt of religion" online. Sentences include 3 months to 3 years for…
- Israel Jul 24
Reasonableness Standard Amendment (Basic Law: The Judiciary, 2023)
Constitutional amendment Struck downThe first piece of the Netanyahu VI judicial overhaul to pass. Removed the Supreme Court's power to strike down government and ministerial decisions on the grounds of 'unreasonableness' — a doctrine the court had used to overturn appointments and policies it j…
- Israel Mar 27
"Chametz Law" — Amendment authorizing hospitals to bar leavened bread on Passover
Law EnactedBill sponsored by United Torah Judaism letting hospital administrators bar the entry of leavened food (chametz) during Passover; passed 51–46 on 27 March 2023. It reverses a April 2020 Supreme Court ruling that hospitals could not enforce such a ban. The final…
- Israel Jan 4
Override Bill (proposed; struck down by post-Oct-7 dynamics)
Law FailedProposed component of the 2023 judicial reform package that would have allowed a Knesset majority of 61 to override Supreme Court decisions, even on Basic-Law-level rulings. Most contentious element of the reform package; central to the protest movement.
- Israel Jan 4
Judicial Reform Package
Law Struck downSweeping legislative package introduced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin to curtail Supreme Court powers — eliminating "reasonableness" review of executive decisions, giving the Knesset power to override Court rulings with a simple majority, and politicizing th…
- Israel Dec 22
"Deri Law" — Amendment to Basic Law: The Government (minister with a suspended sentence)
Constitutional amendment EnactedAmendment to Basic Law: The Government rushed through the Knesset in December 2022 by the incoming Netanyahu coalition so that Shas leader Aryeh Deri could be appointed minister despite a January 2022 suspended sentence for tax offences. The amendment narrowed…
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Lebanon Oct 26 Banking Secrecy Reform Law
Law EnactedAmended Lebanon's 1956 banking secrecy law to allow government authorities access to bank records as a precondition for IMF rescue talks.
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United Arab Emirates Oct 3 Federal Decree-Law 41 of 2022 (Personal Status for Non-Muslims)
Executive order EnactedCreates a parallel civil personal-status regime for non-Muslims resident in the UAE — civil marriage, equal-share inheritance, joint custody, no-fault divorce. Applies across all seven emirates. The Sharia-based personal-status code continues to govern Muslims…
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Tunisia Sep 13 Decree-Law 54 of 2022 (Information and Communication Networks)
Emergency decree EnactedPresidential decree issued by Kais Saied criminalizing the production, dissemination, or spread of "false information" or "false news" intended to harm "public security" or "national defense." Five-year prison sentences plus 50,000 dinar fines; ten years if di…
- Tunisia Jul 25
2022 Constitution
Referendum EnactedNew Tunisian constitution adopted by referendum on 2022-07-25 with 94% support but only 30% turnout. Replaced the 2014 democratic constitution with a presidentialist system concentrating executive power in the presidency.
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Saudi Arabia Mar 8 Personal Status Law 2022 (Royal Decree M/73)
Executive order EnactedFirst codification of Saudi family law (marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance) into a written statute. Previously these matters were adjudicated through judges' direct interpretation of Sharia. The law largely codifies prevailing Hanbali doctrine but introdu…
- Israel Nov 4
2021–2022 State Budget (first state budget in three and a half years)
Law EnactedAfter three and a half years without an approved state budget — a paralysis that had repeatedly forced early elections — the Bennett–Lapid "change government" passed the 2021 and 2022 budgets on 4–5 November 2021 (the 2021 budget by 61–59). Finance Minister Av…
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Qatar Oct 2 Constitutional Amendment for Shura Council Elections (2021)
Constitutional amendment EnactedQatar held the first elections in its history for the Shura Council in October 2021, implementing a provision of the 2003 constitution that had sat dormant for eighteen years. Voters elected 30 of 45 seats; the Emir continued to appoint the other 15. Eligibili…
- Morocco May 26
Law 13-21 on the Legal Uses of Cannabis
Law EnactedCreated the legal framework for cultivating, producing, processing and exporting cannabis for medical, cosmetic and industrial use under a new National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities. The government council chaired by PM Saad Eddine E…
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Oman Jan 11 Basic Statute of the State (2021 revision)
Constitution EnactedSultan Haitham's revised Basic Statute — the closest thing Oman has to a constitution — for the first time codified a clear line of succession through the male descendants of Sultan Qaboos's father, and established the role of Crown Prince. Previously, success…
- United Arab Emirates Nov 7
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 27/2020 (Family Law Reforms)
Executive order EnactedSweeping UAE federal decree-law modernizing family, criminal, and civil-status legislation. Decriminalized cohabitation, alcohol consumption by Muslims, and attempted suicide. Strengthened penalties for honor crimes and harassment of women. Allowed expatriates…
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Algeria Nov 1 Algerian Constitutional Reform of 2020
Referendum EnactedNew Algerian constitution adopted by referendum on 2020-11-01 with 66% approval but only 24% turnout — the lowest turnout in any Algerian referendum. Introduced limited reforms (term limits, anti-corruption provisions) without addressing core demands of the Hi…
- Israel Sep 15
Abraham Accords
Parliamentary resolution EnactedSeries of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states signed at the White House on 2020-09-15 (UAE, Bahrain), later joined by Morocco (December 2020) and Sudan (October 2020 - frozen by 2023 civil war). Established diplomatic relations, embassies, …
- Israel Jul 19
Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People
Constitutional amendment EnactedConstitutional Basic Law passed by the Knesset establishing Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Demoted Arabic from official status to a language with "special status," recognized "Jewish settlement" as a national value, and explicitly tied nation…
- Israel Jul 19
Basic Law: Israel — the Nation State of the Jewish People
Constitution EnactedDeclares Israel "the nation state of the Jewish People" and national self-determination "exclusive to the Jewish People"; names a complete and united Jerusalem the capital; makes Hebrew the language of the state and downgrades Arabic to "special status"; eleva…
- Israel Jan 9
Shabbat "Minimarket Law" (Amendment to the Business Licensing Law)
Law EnactedAmendment to the Business Licensing Law passed 58–57 on 9 January 2018 after a ~15-hour opposition filibuster, granting the interior minister authority to review and reject municipal bylaws that allow shops to open on Shabbat. The portfolio was held by Shas le…
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Mauritania Aug 5 Constitutional Amendments of 2017
Constitutional amendment EnactedMauritania's 2017 referendum abolished the Senate, changed the national flag and anthem, and modified language around state institutions. Opposition boycotted the referendum and the chamber whose abolition was at stake; turnout was officially 53.7%. President …
- Lebanon Jun 16
Parliamentary Elections Law No. 44 of 2017 (proportional representation)
Law EnactedLebanon's first electoral law based on proportional representation, approved by parliament on 16 June 2017 and promulgated the next day, ending reliance on the majoritarian "winner-take-all" system. It merged the 26 districts into 15 with sub-districts and int…
- Morocco Jul 26
Press and Publications Code (Law 88.13)
Law EnactedMorocco's first press code with no prison terms for peaceful speech offences, adopted 26 July 2016 by parliament under the PJD-led Benkirane government as part of a three-law package (the press code, a journalists' statute, and a law creating a National Press …
- Saudi Arabia Apr 25
Saudi Vision 2030
Executive order EnactedStrategic transformation framework announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman setting goals across the Saudi economy, social policy, and government. Targets include increasing non-oil GDP, raising women's workforce participation, developing tourism, and bui…
- Tunisia Jan 26
2014 Tunisian Constitution
Constitution RepealedTunisian post-revolution constitution adopted on 2014-01-26 after three years of negotiation. Codified Tunisia as a democratic civil state, balanced presidential and parliamentary power, enshrined women's rights and freedom of religion, and won broad cross-ide…
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Yemen Jan 25 National Dialogue Conference Outcomes Document (2014)
Parliamentary resolution EnactedA 1,400-recommendation document produced by 565 delegates over ten months under the Gulf Initiative transition. It proposed a six-region federal state, expanded women's rights, decentralization of resource revenue, and a permanent constitution. The Houthi dele…
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Egypt Jan 18 Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt (2014)
Constitution EnactedDrafted by a 50-member committee after the July 2013 removal of Mohamed Morsi and ratified in a January 2014 referendum with 98.1% approval and 38.6% turnout. Replaced the 2012 Morsi-era constitution. Strengthened the military as an autonomous institution (mil…
- Egypt Jan 18
2014 Egyptian Constitution
Constitution EnactedNew Egyptian constitution adopted by referendum on 2014-01-14/15 with 98.1% approval (38.6% turnout). Replaced the 2012 Morsi-era constitution, restored military prerogatives (10-year shield for the defense minister position), banned religious political partie…
- Jordan Sep 25
Jordanian 2011 Constitutional Amendments
Constitutional amendment EnactedSet of 42 constitutional amendments adopted in response to the Arab Spring. Established a Constitutional Court, restricted the use of State Security Court, and introduced electoral reforms — though without fundamentally shifting executive power away from the m…
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Libya Aug 3 Constitutional Declaration of August 2011
Constitution EnactedIssued by the National Transitional Council weeks before Qaddafi was killed, this is the document that has governed Libya in the transition that has never ended. It is short — 37 articles — and was meant as a 20-month bridge to a permanent constitution. Fiftee…
- Morocco Jul 1
Moroccan Constitution of 2011
Constitutional amendment EnactedNew Moroccan constitution adopted by referendum on 2011-07-01 in response to the February 20 Movement protests. Nominally devolved some powers to the Prime Minister (now to be chosen from the largest party) and the parliament. Recognized Berber/Amazigh as an o…
- Syria Apr 21
Repeal of the 1963 State of Emergency Law
Executive order RepealedBashar al-Assad's decree lifting the 48-year-old emergency law that had been in force since the Ba'athist 1963 coup. Announced as part of his initial concessions to the protest movement.
- Iraq Oct 15
Iraqi Constitution of 2005
Constitution EnactedPermanent constitution adopted by Iraqi referendum on 2005-10-15. Established a federal parliamentary republic with a power-sharing system: Prime Minister Shia, President Kurd (largely ceremonial), Speaker Sunni. Recognized Kurdish autonomy via the Kurdistan R…
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Sudan Jan 9 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Parliamentary resolution EnactedSudanese peace agreement signed in Naivasha, Kenya on 2005-01-09 ending the second Sudanese civil war (1983-2005, ~2 million dead). Created a six-year power-sharing arrangement between the Khartoum government and the southern SPLM, with a referendum on souther…
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Palestine May 29 Palestinian Basic Law (2003, as amended)
Constitution EnactedThe interim constitution of the Palestinian Authority. The 2003 amendment created the office of prime minister, which Yasser Arafat had resisted — international pressure had wanted a check on the presidency, and Mahmoud Abbas became the first PM. The Basic Law…
- Tunisia May 26
2002 Constitutional Referendum (abolition of presidential term limits)
Referendum EnactedConstitutional referendum held on 26 May 2002 under Ben Ali's RCD that abolished the three-term limit on the presidency and raised the maximum age of a sitting president from 70 to 75, while creating a second parliamentary chamber. The government reported 99.5…
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Bahrain Feb 14 Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain (2002)
Constitution EnactedReframed Bahrain from emirate to constitutional kingdom. Restored an elected lower house (the Council of Representatives) after a 27-year suspension following the 1973 constitution's dissolution; created a 40-member appointed upper house alongside it. The king…