To What Extent the Declaration of a State of Emergency Is Consistent with the Palestinian Basic Law During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.3Keywords:
State of emergency, COVID-19 pandemic, Palestinian Basic Law, exceptional circumstances, CoronavirusAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised consciousness across the globe of how constitutions respond to crises. This article examines the issue of the Palestinian President declaring a state of emergency in Palestine on March 5, 2020, under Presidential Decree No. 1 of 2020, to confront the spread of the Coronavirus. However, the President continues to extend the thirty-day state of emergency ten times. In addition, the article discusses a crucial issue associated with the extent to which the extended constitution of emergency in Palestine lasts, as the Basic Law only allows him to declare the state of emergency for a one-time limit. The article aims to clarify the constitutionality of the extension of the state of emergency in Palestine, in addition to placing some legal alternatives to avoid the President’s breach of the Basic Law. To achieve the objectives of the article, socio-legal research using a qualitative approach and face-to-face interviews was adopted. Accordingly, findings show the inconsistency of the extension of the state of emergency with the Basic Law due to the suspension of the role of the Legislative Council in Palestine. The article emphasizes and recommends that the role of the Legislative Council shall be activated to oversee the presidential decrees extending a state of emergency issued by holding the legislative elections in Palestine.
References
Abu Amsha, M. K. (2020). Tathir Jayihat Korona Alaa Alqitaeat Alaiqtisadiat Walmaliat Fe Dawlat Felsetyen. Seyasat Centre, Palestine.
Abu Mater, M. (2021). Interview. Associate Prof in the constitution law, Al Azhar University in Palestine –Gaza.
Alsarghali, S. (2020). State of Emergency ‘or the ‘State of Exception’? Bahrain and COVID-19, global discourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Current Affairs, 10(4), 445-454.
Al-Sharif, F. (2011). Halat Altwar’e Wathrha ‘Ela Alhqwq Walhryat Al’eamh Llmwatnyn. Journal of Human Sciences, 22(11), 188-201.
Amayreh, O. I. M., Zakri, I. M. M., Tehrani, P. M., & Shandi, Y. M. (2021). The pre-contractual duty of disclosure in the Palestinian civil code draft and its role in maintaining economic contractual equilibrium. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 12(1), 119-156.
Al Amaren, E. M., Hamad, A. M., Al Mashhour, O. F., & Al Mashni, M. I. (2020). An introduction to the legal research method: To clear the blurred image of how students understand the method of legal science research. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Advanced Technology, 1(9), 50-55.
Armitage, J. (2002). State of emergency: An introduction. SAGE Journals, 19(4), 27-38.
Awadasseid, A., Wu, Y., Tanaka, Y., & Zhang, W. (2020). Initial success in the identification and management of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) indicates human-to-human transmission in Wuhan, China. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 16(11), 1846-1866.
Badir, N. (2020). Mda Ansjam E’elan Halat Altwar’e M’e Alqanon Alasasy Alfelsteni Walatfaqyat Aldwlyh Lhqwq Alensan Lmwajhh Antshar Fyrws Kwrwna Kwfyd 19. Al-Haq Foundation, Palestine.
Chan, J. F., Lau, S. K., To, K. K., Cheng, V. C., Woo, P. C., & Yuen, K. Y. (2015). Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus: Another zoonotic betacoronavirus causing SARS-like disease. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 28(2), 465-522.
Cho, J. Y., & Lee, E. H. (2014). Reducing confusion about grounded theory and qualitative content analysis: Similarities and differences. Qualitative Report, 19(32), 1-20.
Dunia al-Watan. (2020). Enha’ Halat Altwar’ Fe Felsetyen. https://www.alwatanvoice.com
Eid, O. (2020). The State of Emergency in the Palestinian Territories, between Legality and Nullity. https://ssrn.com/ abstract=3774553
Haniyeh, M. (2020). “Interview”. Former Minister of Justice. Palestine - Gaza.
Helbich, M., & Jabr, S. (2021). Analysis of the mental health response to COVID-19 and human rights concerns in the occupied Palestinian territories. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 1(1), 1-15.
Hamad, A. M., Indriyani, R., Al Ramadan, A. M. M., & Fitriono, R. A. (2022). Separation of powers in the Palestinian law: Does it reflect the democratic system? (A Comparative Approach with Indonesia). Lex Scientia Law Review, 6(2), 265-298.
Hammad, S. (2020). Aleja’ehh Fe Aldifh Algherbeyh: Keyf Tedyer Alesleth Aleflesteneyh Azemt Keruwnah? https://www.7iber. com/politics-economics Ahmed M A. Hamed, Haslinda Mohd Anuar, & Rohizan Halim. (2021). The Judiciary in Islamic law, Palestinian legislation, and guarantees of its independence. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam, 5 (1), 1-22. https://jurnal.ar-raniry. ac.id/index.php/samarah/article/view/8927
Hooper, H. J. (2021). Legality, Legitimacy, and Legislation: The Role of Exceptional Circumstances in Common Law Judicial Review. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 41(1), 142-168.
Human Rights & Democracy Media Centre Shams. (2020). Hewl Altmedyed Alethane Almuhtmel Le’elan Halt Altwar’ Fey Felsetyen. https://www.shams-pal.org/?p=3424
Iqtaish, A., & Wang, S. (2020). The Constitutionality of Emergency Laws in Light of the Emerging Pandemic of the Coronavirus: A Comparative Study. JL Pol’y & Globalization, 1(102), 13-30.
Kapitsinis, N. (2020). The underlying factors of the COVID-19 spatially uneven spread. Initial evidence from regions in nine EU countries. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 12(6), 1027-1045.
Khalil, A. (2018). Halat Aldrwrh Mn Mnzwr Dstory Mqarn. Constitutional Law Unit, Birzeit Uni, Palestine.
Kwang, H. P., Sabaruddin, J. S., & Dhanapal, S. (2017). An overview of the rule of law values within Malaysia’s anti-terror law: A legal perspective from India and the United Kingdom. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 1(8), 57-85.
Lillich, R. B. (1985). The Paris minimum standards of human rights norms in a state of emergency. The American Journal of International Law, 79(4), 1072-1081.
Lobera, J., Santana, A., & Gross, C. (2023). Are we looking at crises through polarized lenses? Predicting public assessments of the official early responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries. European Sociological Review, JCAD016.
McQuillan, C. (2011). The real state of emergency: Agamben on Benjamin and Schmitt. Studies in Social and Political Thought, 1(18), 96-108.
Mustafa, B. (2020). Mwajhit Waba’ Fyrws Kurona Byn E’elan Halt Altwar’e Walaktfa’ Bejra’at Aldbt Aledary. Ijtihad Journal for Legal and Economic Studies, 9(4). 94-117.
Organization, W. H. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19. (Report No. 29). WHO., Occupied Palestinian Territory.1-8
Park, S. E. (2020). Epidemiology, virology, and clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus Disease-19). Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics, 63(4), 119-140.
Shabir, M. (2021). Interview with Associate Prof in the constitution and administration law, Al Azhar University in Palestine -Gaza.
Slot, B. & Adel, I. (2020). Teqdeyr Mawqef Hewl Ale’elan Althaney Lhalt Altwar’ Fe Felsetyen. https://stgcenter.org
Taha, A. M. (2007). Athr Halat Altwar’e ‘Ela Ma Tmlkh Alsltat Alamnyh Walqda’eyh Mn Slahyat Estthna’eyh Mt’elqh Bhqwq Almwatn. Journal of Justice and Law, 1(7), 248-260.
Twam, R. & Asem, K. (2020). The aftermath of the Declared State of Emergency in Palestine against Coronavirus outbreak: Predicted Scenarios and Risks. https://ssrn.com/ abstract=3564350
Ziadeh, M. (2020). ‘Iemal Alhuquq Fi Zili Fayrus Korona Wahalat Altawari. ICHR, Board of Grievances, Palestine.
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
Research impact
Harvested 2026-09-07Counts differ between services because each indexes a different body of literature. None of them is the whole picture.
