A Law on the Interpretation of Certain Expressions and General Provisions
We, Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman
We hereby issue the following law, the text of which is as follows:
Article 1
Name of the Law and Its Entry into Force
This law is named “Law of Interpretations and General Provisions of 1973” and comes into force on 1 January 1973.
Article 2
Application
The provisions of this law apply in the interpretation of any law, whether issued before or after the entry into force of this law.
Article 3
Interpretation
In this law, and in any other law, the following words and expressions have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise or unless a different meaning or interpretation is stipulated in that other law:
“His Majesty the Sultan”, “the Sultan”, and “His Majesty” mean the Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman.
“Sultanate” means all the land of the Sultanate of Oman with its geographical borders, territorial waters, and continental shelf, and includes all its islands, their territorial waters, and continental shelf, and the airspace of those lands, islands, and territorial waters.
“Government” means the government of the Sultanate.
“Official Gazette” means the official gazette of the government and includes any annex to it. The Official Gazette or any annex to it may be issued at any time other than the time specified for its issuance. Laws must be published in the annex to the Official Gazette whenever possible.
“Law” means any legislation or system, any royal decree, or any royal decision of a legislative nature, and all regulations, rules, and legislative orders issued under any law.
“Omani” means any person of Omani nationality under the Omani Nationality Law.
“Rial” means Rial Omani.
“Person” includes any company, entity, group of people, or association, whether they have legal personality or not.
“Year” and “month” are calculated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
Words denoting or referring to the masculine include the feminine.
The masculine pronoun, both explicit and implicit, includes the feminine.
Words denoting or referring to the singular include the plural.
Words referring or denoting to the plural include the singular.
Article 4
Reference to Laws
1. It is sufficient to refer to any law either by its full or abbreviated name or by its number and the year in which it was issued.
2. A reference to any article in any law means a reference to the law itself, unless the reference is to another law.
3. A reference to any paragraph or clause in any article means a reference to the article itself, unless the reference is to another article.
Article 5
Publication of Laws
1. Subject to the provisions of article 6, every law must be published in the Official Gazette and comes into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, unless another date, earlier or later, is specified for its entry into force.
2. Laws apply throughout the Sultanate unless otherwise expressly stipulated in any law.
Article 6
Previous Laws
Any law issued before the issuance of the Official Gazette, and not published in it, must be considered valid unless repealed or amended by another law.
Article 7
Proof of Laws
The publication of any law in the Official Gazette is sufficient to prove its existence or issuance without resorting to any other evidence.
Article 8
Knowledge of Laws
Any person is presumed to be aware of any law as soon as it is published in the Official Gazette. It is also presumed that any person is aware of all laws issued before the issuance of the Official Gazette. Every person shall comply with all laws from the time of their entry into force.
Article 9
Repealed Laws
When a law repeals another law or any of its provisions, the repeal of the repealing law does not result in the revival of the repealed provisions of the first law unless those repealed provisions are expressly renewed by virtue of any law.
Article 10
Effect of Repeal
1. When a law repeals another law or any of its provisions and re-enacts it with or without amendment, the reference in any other law to the repealed law or the repealed provision means the reference to the new repealing law unless a different intention is clear.
2. When a law repeals another law or any of its provisions, none of the following matters result from such repeal unless a different intention is clear:
(a) The repeal does not affect any prior effect of the repealed law or provision or any act done under it.
(b) The repeal does not affect any right or privilege acquired, or any obligation or liability arising under the repealed law or provision.
(c) The repeal does not affect any penalty, punishment, or confiscation imposed in respect of any crime or violation under the repealed law or provision.
(d) The repeal does not affect any investigation, judicial procedure, or legal claim in respect of any of the mentioned acquired or arising right, privilege, obligation, liability, penalty, punishment, or confiscation. It is permitted to institute, continue, or implement an investigation, judicial procedure, and legal claim, and it is permitted to impose the penalty, confiscation, or punishment as if the repealing law had not been issued.
Article 11
Secondary Legislation
Where any law confers the right on any person to issue any rules, regulations, or orders, the following provisions apply in respect of the issuance of such rules, regulations, and orders:
(a) These rules, regulations, and orders do not conflict with the provisions of the law under which they were issued or any law of a higher degree.
(b) These rules, regulations, and orders may provide for appropriate penalties in the event of their violation at the discretion of the authority authorised to issue them.
(c) The authority authorised to issue these rules, regulations, and orders may amend or repeal them, at any time, in the same manner and in accordance with the same conditions applicable to their issuance.
Article 12
Appointment
Where any law confers the right of appointment on any person, that person has the right to suspend or dismiss the appointed person, unless a different intention is clear.
Article 13
Change of Name of Public Position
When there is a change in the name of any public position, the reference in any law to the old position means the reference to the new position.
Article 14
Delegation
1. Where any law confers on any person the right to exercise any powers or perform any duties, that person has the right, unless a different intention is clear, to delegate any other person to exercise those powers or to perform those duties in accordance with the conditions, exceptions, and reservations specified by him. The person delegated may exercise those powers and perform those duties in accordance with the conditions, exceptions, and reservations mentioned from the time of the delegation, provided that it is not permitted to delegate the issuance of rules, regulations, and legislative orders under any law, and that it is not permitted to delegate the judicial authority without explicit approval under any law.
2. The delegation under the preceding paragraph does not prevent the principal person from exercising his powers and performing his duties at any time, unless a different intention is clear.
Article 15
Appointment of Chairmen and Secretaries of Assemblies
Where any law confers on any person the right to form any committee, association, board, or other authority, that person has the right to appoint the chairman and secretary of that committee, association, board, or entity and to determine the powers and duties of any of its members.
Article 16
Quorum and Committee Decisions
Where any law provides for anything to be done by any committee, association, board, or other entity, the following provisions apply unless any law provides otherwise:
(a) More than half of the members constitute a quorum.
(b) Decisions are taken by an absolute majority of the attending members.
(c) Any defect in the appointment of any member or in the lack of his qualifications does not affect any work carried out before the discovery of that defect in the appointment or the lack of qualification.
(d) Any minor or formal error in the procedures does not affect any decision taken.
(e) The chairman does not have an additional or weighted vote.
Article 17
Confiscation
When any law imposes a punishment of confiscation, the confiscated property, the confiscated thing, or the price of its sale must be transferred to the public treasury of the government after deducting the necessary expenses required for its preservation, sale, removal, or any other disposal in respect of it, or the performance of any right to others and other necessary payments.
Article 18
Compliance of the Government with Laws
The government shall comply with all laws unless expressly exempted.
Issued on: 22 Dhu Al-Qa’dah 1392
Corresponding to: 28 December 1972
Qaboos bin Said
Sultan of Oman
Published in Annex 1 of Official Gazette 25 issued on 1 January 1973.