We, Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman
after perusal of the Basic Statute of the State,
Royal Decree 2/94 Amending the Ministerial Composition,
Royal Decree 14/94 Determining the Competences of the Ministry of Legal Affairs,
Royal Decree 114/94 Adopting the Organisational Structure of the Ministry of Legal Affairs,
and the System of the Administrative Apparatus of the State promulgated by Royal Decree 75/2020,
and in pursuance of public interest,
have decreed as follows
Article I
The “Ministry of Justice” and the “Ministry of Legal Affairs” are hereby merged into one ministry named the “Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs,” and its competences are hereby determined in accordance with the attached Annex 1.
Article II
The organisational structure of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs is hereby adopted in accordance with the attached Annex 2.
Article III
All allocations, assets, rights, obligations, and holdings of the Ministry of Legal Affairs are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, and its employees are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs with their same financial grades.
Technical members of the Ministry of Legal Affairs are hereby also transferred to it with their same financial grades and entitlements, as well as their employment status.
Article IV
Without prejudice to the provisions of article V of this decree, all allocations, assets, rights, obligations, and holdings of the Ministry of Justice are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, and its employees are hereby transferred to: the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs—including employees of the divisions relating to expert undertakings before the courts and lawyers affairs—; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs; the Secretariat General of the Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary; and the Governorates of Muscat, Dhofar, and Musandam with their same financial grades, in accordance with the rules determined by the Council of Ministers.
Article V
All competences, allocations, assets, rights, obligations, and holdings of the divisions relating to mediation and conciliation in the Ministry of Justice are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Interior and the Governorates of Muscat, Dhofar, and Musandam—as the case may be—, and the employees of these divisions are also hereby transferred to those bodies—each according to their competence—with their same financial grades.
All competences, allocations, assets, rights, obligations, and holdings of the Directorate General for the Management and Investment of Orphans and Minors Funds in the Ministry of Justice are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, and its employees are hereby transferred to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs with their same financial grades.
All competences, allocations, assets, rights, obligations, and holdings of the divisions relating to the public notary in the Ministry of Justice are also hereby transferred to the Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary, and the employees of these divisions are hereby transferred to the Secretariat General of the Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary with their same financial grades.
Article VI
The phrases “Ministry of Justice”; “Ministry of Legal Affairs”; “Minister of Justice”; and “Minister of Legal Affairs” wherever they occur in laws and royal decrees relating to legal affairs, expert undertakings before the courts, and advocacy are hereby replaced with the phrases “Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs” and “Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs.”
The phrases “Ministry of Justice” and “Minister of Justice” wherever they occur in laws and royal decrees relating to mediation and conciliation are hereby replaced with the phrases “Ministry of Interior”; “Governorate of Muscat”; “Governorate of Dhofar”; “Musandam Governorate”; “Minister of Interior”; “Minister of State and Governor of Muscat”; “ Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar”; and “Minister of State and Governor of Musandam” as the case may be.
The phrases “Ministry of Justice” and “Minister of Justice,” wherever they occur in laws and royal decrees relating to the public notary are also hereby replaced with the phrases “Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary” and “Chairman of Council of Administrative Affairs for the Judiciary.”
Article VII
All that is contrary to this decree, or in conflict with its provisions, is hereby repealed.
Article VIII
This decree must be published in the Official Gazette, and comes into force on the date of its issuance.
Issued on: 28 Dhu Al-Hijja 1441
Corresponding to: 18 August 2020
Haitham bin Tarik
Sultan of Oman
Published in Official Gazette 1353 issued on 19 August 2020.