Palestinian Basic Law
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The Palestinian Basic Law

A collection of various propsals and amendments to the Basic Law of Palestine.

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More active role for West Bank PLC members


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After having been inactive for almost a year, parliamentarians based in the West Bank are now considering how they might be able to play a more active role in the ...   More...

PICCR «concerned about police state»


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The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights warns against the emergence of what it calls a «police system» in the Palestinian Authority. PICCR's 13th annual report record an increase in ...   More...

Only caretaker cabinet permitted to register pilgrims


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Minister of Awqaf (Religions Endowments) Jamal Bawatna has stated that arrangements for Hajj pilgrims from Gaza cannot be made through the de facto Ismail Haniyeh cabinet in Gaza. However, Bawatna assures that all possible assistance ...   More...

Cabinet shuffles expected


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Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is expected to make changes in the Palestinian caretaker cabinet, according to Maan News, who yesterday reported that there are disagreements within Fatah as to the performance ...   More...

– Fatah disagree over caretaker cabinet’s performance


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In its 25th meeting in Ramallah, Fatah's Revolutionary Council is set to evaluate the caretaker cabinet's performance. Critics of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad argue that he has deviated from the Fatah ...   More...

Nathan J. Brown calls for a revival of constitutional rule


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In Carnegie Endowment's Policy Brief for May, "Sunset for the Two-State Solution?" constitutional expert Nathan J. Brown recommends that the United States backs the restoration of democratic rule in the ...   More...

Hamas: PA interfers with Gaza Banking system


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The PA in Ramallah is embroiled in a dispute with the de facto cabinet in Gaza over a request that certain banks move the main headquarters from Gaza to Ramallah and turn ...   More...

Detention of PLC members extended


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An Israeli Court decided Sunday to extend the detention of several Palestinian lawmakers from the nothern West Bank. The trial is postponed to 3 June. The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) condemns ...   More...

PCHR publishes 2007 annual report


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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza has published its 2007 annual report in English. Section two covers Palestinian Violations of Human Rights and Obstacles to Democratic Reform A central topic is ...   More...

France met with Hamas cabinet ministers


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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner confirms that government has had contact with Hamas, who won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006. France's former ambassador Yves Aubin de La Messuziere reportedly ...   More...

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Facts about the Basic Law

The Palestinian Basic Law is to function as a temporary constitution for the Palestinian Authority until the establishment of an independent state and a permanent constitution for Palestine can be achieved.

The Basic Law was passed by the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1997 and ratified by President Yasser Arafat in 2002. It has subsequently been amended twice; in 2003 the political system was changed to introduce a prime minister. In 2005 it was amended to conform to the new Election Law. The 2003 reform was comprehensive and affected the whole nature of the Palestinian political system, whereas the 2005 amendment was only minor and affected only a few paragraphs.

A parallel effort has been made to draft a permanent Palestinian constitution for an independent state, but this was shelved in favor of amending the existing Basic Law.


About this site

This website presents a collection of various drafts and amendments related to the Basic Law and other constitutional texts that have been compiled from various other sources.

You can also expect to find links to news items and reports that are of relevance to Palestinian constitutional law, the electoral framework, political reform and the PA branches of government.

The website was created by the Norwegian journalists Erik Bolstad and Tonje M. Viken in February 2008. The site is a private initiative and has no affiliation to any organizations or authorities.

All external links are purely for information purposes and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of this site.

Information and contact details.