Legislation and legitimation in Oman: the Basic Law

Contenu

Siegfried, Nikolaus. 1999. « Legislation and Legitimation in Oman: The Basic Law ». Islamic Law and Society 7 (3): 359-97. doi:10.1163/156851900507689, bibliographie, consulté le 3 avril 2025, https://ibadica.org/s/bibliographie/item/28820

Titre
Legislation and legitimation in Oman: the Basic Law
Créateur
Siegfried, Nikolaus
Sujet
Vie politique -- Oman -- 1970-2020
Résumé
When Sultan Qabus issued Decree 101 on November 6, 1996, Oman was the last Arab country to implement a constitutional document. However, the political impact of this document is controversial: Whereas some consider the Basic Law a step towards democratization, others see merely a continuation of traditional policies. In this article I investigate the innovative potential of the Basic Law. Against the background of Omani and regional history and European and Islamic constitutional thought, I review the Decree with regard to authority and legitimation. I suggest that the law is mainly symbolic in character. It exploits tribal and Islamic concepts to create a historically unfounded notion of a homogeneous state. The civil liberties it grants do not extend to the public sphere. I conclude that Oman's Basic Law does nothing more than to freeze the status quo, according to which the Sultan remains the only recognized authority in the state.
Est une partie de
Islamic Law and Society
volume
7
numéro
3
pages
359-397
Date
2000
Langue
eng
doi
10.1163/156851900507689
issn
0928-9380, 1568-5195

Siegfried, Nikolaus. 1999. « Legislation and Legitimation in Oman: The Basic Law ». Islamic Law and Society 7 (3): 359-97. doi:10.1163/156851900507689, bibliographie, consulté le 3 avril 2025, https://ibadica.org/s/bibliographie/item/28820

Position : 36625 (8 vues)