Public Policy, Regulatory Frameworks, and Legislative Drafting

IBLAW has a renowned reputation in regulatory framework and legislative drafting. This is based on our long experience in participating-to great extent-in every public policy and legal reform initiative in Jordan, including many other countries of the Arab World.

Backed up with our unique understanding of Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements, our Public Policy and Legislative Drafting practice has a deep understanding of how government really works and has fostered an extensive network of relationships with the Jordanian government, the private sector, and international agencies and donors.

IBLAW provides comprehensive legal advice and consulting services to all stakeholders in the areas of public policy and legal reform. We are active in identifying public policy reform requirements, drafting, advocating, and implementing legislation. Our public policy team collaborates and builds on our substantive knowledge in every practice area. Consequently, IBLAW has the expertise and capacity to provide legal support in various areas of public policy and legislative drafting such as international and multilateral trade agreements, public sector reform and restructuring, governance and the rule of law, economic and judicial reform, investment regimes, and special economic zones.

Our accomplishments include providing comprehensive legal support to Jordan's World Trade Organization accession, and advising the Government of Jordan in drafting and negotiating the United States - Jordan Free Trade Agreement. IBLAW advised the Government of Jordan on the establishment of Special Zones in Jordan such as the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) which aimed at creating a duty-free low-tax special economic zone with an independent regulatory framework. In connection with the ASEZ project we also assisted in setting up a streamlined, liberal and attractive investment climate - an impressive legal exercise that involved drafting more than 40 pieces of legislation.

In addition, IBLAW has assisted in legislative reform efforts at the core of Jordan's reform agenda related to capital markets, telecommunications and information technology, tourism, environmental policy, civil service, public procurement, investment, tax, securities, and public sector restructuring. On a regional level, our lawyers drafted WTO-TRIPS compliant legislation for the Palestinian National Authority, advised the Government of Tunisia by conducting a legal survey of barriers to service trade in Tunisia, and advised the American Moroccan Chamber of Commerce on matters related to the Morocco-United States Free Trade Agreement.

Furthermore, IBLAW was heavily involved in projects in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. For example, IBLAW was involved in the drafting of both TRSDC's and Neom's Founding laws, rendering of strategic regulatory advice to the Royal Commission of Makkah and the King Abdullah Financial District, and is a participant of several other reform programs arising out of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. More recently, IBLAW successfully participated in a project related to the supervision and implementation of a judicial reform initiative across the Kingdom and successfully participated in the establishment of special economic zones and drafting the founding laws for those zones including the legal framework for their independent judiciary.