Jordan laws are built around a three part governmental system, comprised of an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. This system of checks and balances is used widely throughout the world and works well in Jordan as well.
The Executive branch is lead by a monarchy, which makes Jordan different than most three part governmental systems. To this day, the King remains the supreme arbiter of Jordan law and still maintains quite a bit of popularity. The King has been responsible for all of the major legal changes over the last several decades.
The Legislative branch is built with over thirty distinct political parties in Jordan, all vying for a seat at the proverbial table. However, the Islamic Action Front is the primary source for all legislative members.
The Judicial branch is divided into three sections – civil, religious, and special. Sharia law is only applied in religious courts, and only cover personal matters such as marriage, divorce, custody of minors, and inheritances.