Legislative Decree Number 63 in 2025 annuls the jurisdiction of Law Number 12 from 1963, which outlined the interior regulations of the National Assembly.
Laid-Back Breakdown: The Kuwaiti Gov's Decree-Law No. 63, 2025
Boiling It Down: The Kuwaiti government has slapped a freeze on parts of Law No. 12 of 1963, which lays out the internal rules for the National Assembly. The freeze came courtesy of Decree-Law No. 63 of 2025, published in the government gazette Kuwait Alyawm. Here's the lowdown on what this means.
Timeframe and Reversal: This icy spell on Law No. 12 will last either until the end of a four-year stretch starting from May 10, 2024, or subsequent to the formation of a new National Assembly, whichever happens first. Article 178 of Law No. 12 is the lone exception, remaining well-insulated from frostbite [3].
Legal and Admin Impact: With the suspension, employees at the General Secretariat of the National Assembly now fall under the influence of 1979's Decree-Law No. 15 relating to the Civil Service. All employment, administrative, and financial matters of the Secretariat's staff will be governed by these rules until the big thaw arrives for Law No. 12 of 1963.
Article Three of the decree does away with any conflicting legal provisions, and Article Four charges the Prime Minister and related ministers with its implementation, effective as of its publication in the official gazette [4].
Motives and Context: This icy blow to the internal administrative law for the National Assembly stems from the Amiri Order issued May 10, 2024. This order dissolved the National Assembly and froze several constitutional articles for up to four years, including key ones defining the legislative functions and makeup of the Assembly [5].
Since the dissolution and constitutional stalemate, the internal regulatory law of the Assembly (Law No. 12 of 1963) has been rendered impractical. The decree also tackles inconsistencies between earlier employment regulations employed by the National Assembly Secretariat and the State Civil Service System [6].
Resolutions No. 26 of 2009 and No. 46 of 2014, which regulated salaries, benefits, and administrative procedures within the Secretariat, have been deemed inconsistent with broader state employment laws. These resolutions provided perks now considered without legal foundation due to the suspension of the underlying law [7].
In essence, the decree seeks to standardize employment regulations across all state entities, erase discrepancies in employee benefits, and align the current administrative framework with Kuwait's existing constitutional and legal structure during the suspension period.
Sources:1. Al-Rai daily2. Kuwait Today3. Arab Times4. Kuwait National Assembly5. Kuwait Amiri Diwan6. Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs7. Kuwait State Audit Bureau
- The suspension of parts of Law No. 12 of 1963, which governs the internal rules of the National Assembly in Kuwait, is set to last until either the end of a four-year period starting from May 10, 2024, or the formation of a new National Assembly, whichever comes first.
- The suspended provisions have been replaced with the 1979 Decree-Law No. 15, which now controls all employment, administrative, and financial matters of the General Secretariat of the National Assembly's staff.
- Decree-Law No. 63 of 2025, which triggered the suspension, also aims to erase inconsistencies in employee benefits and align the current administrative framework with Kuwait's existing constitutional and legal structure, particularly during the suspension period.
- The need for these amendments can be traced back to the Amiri Order issued on May 10, 2024, which dissolved the National Assembly and froze several constitutional articles, including those defining the legislative functions and makeup of the Assembly.
