Syrian Arab Republic - Law guide

This is an overview of an internet research on legislation in Syria (as of December 2018). This overview aims to serve as a starting point to facilitate the research into legal texts. However, it should not replace independent verification of the different legal texts as to their currency, validity and accuracy. Please also bear in mind that official translations of legal texts only exist in rare cases.

Researching Laws

The website of the Syrian Parliament (Majlis asch-Scha’ab) provides a database that enables a search for laws and decrees. The website is available in Arabic only. It offers an overview of all current legislation and shows the title and the number of each legislation as well as the date it came into force.

• Syrian Arab Republic: – Parliament [الجمهورية العربية السورية ـ مجلس الشعب]: Syrian Legislation [التشريعات السورية]
  http://www.parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=200&Service=-1&RID=-1&Vld=-1

The Syrian state news agency SANA regularly publishes laws and amendments to laws that have recently come into force. These publications are accessible via the following link:

• SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency: Decrees and Laws [مراسيم و قوانين]
  https://www.sana.sy/?cat=214

The database Refworld that is operated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides English translations of selected legislation:

• Refworld: Country Search Syria, set filter to National Legislative Bodies
  https://www.refworld.org/publisher,NATLEGBOD,,SYR,,,0.html

To access the collection of national laws of Turkey on ecoi.net, please follow this link.

Constitution

The current constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic came into force in 2012. The original in Arabic as well as an English translation were published by the Constitute Project and are accessible via the following links:

• Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic (a), 2012 [دستور الجمهورية العربية السورية الصادر عام 2012], Arabic version, published by Constitute Project
  https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Syria_2012.pdf?lang=ar
• Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic (b), 2012, English translation, published by Constitute Project
  https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Syria_2012?lang=en

Criminal Law

The Penal Code with the legislation number 148 was adopted in 1949 and is still in force. The website of the Syrian Ministry of Justice provides an undated version of the Penal Code. The amendments to the Penal Code that are listed further below have not been incorporated into this legal text:

• Syrian Penal Code [قانون العقوبات السوري], published on the website of the Syrian Ministry of Justice, undated
  http://www.moj.gov.sy/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:2013-10-01-20-45-36&catid=3:criminalgroup&Itemid=6

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) provides a version of the Penal Code containing amendments up to 1974 on its website:

• WIPO – World Intellectual Property Organization: Penal Code (issued by Legislative Decree No. 148/1949), adopted on 22 June 1949 with amendments up to 31 March 1974
  https://wipolex.wipo.int/en/legislation/details/10918

No translation of the Syrian Penal Code could be found.

• Separately to the abovementioned complete version of the Penal Code the Syrian Ministry of Justice lists a series of amendments that were adopted in January 2011 on its website: Amendments to the Syrian Penal Code [تعديلات على قانون العقوبات السوري], published in the Official Gazette on 3 January 2011
  http://www.moj.gov.sy/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12:2013-10-01-20-50-59&catid=3:criminalgroup&Itemid=6

On its website the International Labour Organization (ILO) features two amendments to the Penal Code that were adopted in 2011 and 2013. The texts of these amendments are available in Arabic, a short summary in English is also provided:

• Legislative Decree No. 110 of 2011 amending Penal Code No. 148 of 1949, adopted on 29 August 2011, original text in Arabic, published by ILO
  https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=90201
• Law No. 11 of 2013 amending the Legislative Decree No. 148 of 1949 concerning the Penal Code, adopted on 30 June 2013, original text in Arabic, published by ILO
  https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=96560

A search in the legislation data base of the Syrian Parliament revealed that the last amendment to the Penal Code was adopted in 2018

• Law No. 24 of 2018 stipulating the amendment of a few paragraphs of the Penal Code No. 148 of 22 June 1949 concerning the issue of marriage certificates outside the designated courts [القانون رقم /24/ لعام 2018 القاضي بتعديل بعض مواد قانون العقوبات الصادر بالمرسوم التشريعي رقم 148 تاريخ 22-6-1949 والمتعلقة بابرام عقود الزواج خارج المحاكم المختصة], published on 24 June 2018
  http://www.parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=201&nid=19804&RID=-1&Last=10314&First=0&CurrentPage=0&Vld=-1&Mode=&Service=-1&Loc1=&Key1=&SDate=&EDate=&Year=&Country=&Num=&Dep=-1&

Criminal Procedure Code

On its website the Alkarama Foundation provides an Arabic version of the Syrian Criminal Procedure Code (Legislative Decree No. 112 of 13 March 1950). At the bottom of the page, the text of an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code of 2000 (Legislative Decree No. 8 of 2000 amending the Criminal Procedure Code) is added to the Code:

• Criminal Procedure Code, Legislative Decree No. 112 of 13 March 1950 [قانون أصول المحاكمات الجزائية, المرسوم التشريعي 112 تاريخ 13/3/1950],

13 March 1950

https://www.alkarama.org/fr/node/12997

No translation of the Criminal Procedure Code could be found.

Military Penal Law

An Arabic version of the Military Penal law of 1950 is available on the website of Alkarama Foundation:

• Military Penal Law adopted by legislative decree No. 61 of 27 February 1950 [قانون العقوبات العسكري الصادر بالمرسوم التشريعي رقم 61 تاريخ 27/2/1950]
  https://www.alkarama.org/sites/default/files/2016-11/SYR_Military%20Penal%20Code_1950_AR_0.pdf

An unofficial English translation of excerpts of the Military Penal Law of 1950 was published by UNHCR and is available via the following link:

• Legislative Decree No. 61/1950, Military Penal Law (Extracts), published by UNHCR
  https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1393713/1930_1487665752_58a5e1b34.pdf

UNHCR also published an unofficial translation of Legislative Decree No. 8 of 2016 that grants a general amnesty for crimes of internal and external desertion and for the crimes stated in the Military Service Law committed prior to 17 February 2016. It is available via the following link:

• Legislative Decree No. 8 of 2016; A general amnesty for crimes of internal and external desertion and for the crimes stated in the Military Service Law committed prior to 17 February 2016, published by UNHCR, 2 February 2016
  https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1395281/1930_1488289345_58ac08c74.pdf

In June 2018 the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) reports on a further partial Military Service Amnesty concerning certain individuals accused of deserting or avoiding military service:

• TIMEP - Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy: Legislative Decree No. 18 – Military Service Amnesty, 12 June 2018
  https://timep.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/LegislativeDecree18SyriaLawBrief2018-FINAL12-6-18a.pdf

Citizenship Law

The Syrian Law on Citizenship was adopted in 1969 through Presidential Decree No. 276.

The Arabic version of this presidential decree is available on the website of the Syrian parliament:

• Legislative Decree No. 276 of 1969 regarding the Syrian Arab Citizenship [المرسوم التشريعي رقم 276 للعام 1969 المتعلق بالجنسية العربية السورية],
  24 November 1969

http://parliament.gov.sy/laws/Decree/1969/civil_01.htm

A translation of the Law on Citizenship of 1969 is provided by UNHCR and available via the following link:

• Legislative Decree 276, published in the Official Gazette No. 55 on 17 December 1969, English translation, published by UNHCR, 24. November 1969
  https://www.refworld.org/country,,,LEGISLATION,SYR,,4d81e7b12,0.html

The Norwegian Refugee Council and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion have created an overview of the most important legal provisions regarding the acquisition and the loss of the Syrian Citizenship:

• ISI – Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion / NRC – Norwegian Refugee Council: Nationality, documentation and statelessness in Syria, undated
  http://www.syrianationality.org/index.php?id=18

References:

(all links accessed December 2018)

• Amendments to the Syrian Penal Code [تعديلات على قانون العقوبات السوري], published in the Official Gazette on 3 January 2011
  http://www.moj.gov.sy/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12:2013-10-01-20-50-59&catid=3:criminalgroup&Itemid=6
• Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic (a), 2012 [دستور الجمهورية العربية السورية الصادر عام 2012], Arabic version, published by Constitute Project
  https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Syria_2012.pdf?lang=ar
• Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic (b), 2012, English translation, published by Constitute Project
  https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Syria_2012?lang=en
• Criminal Procedure Code, Legislative Decree No. 112 of 13 March 1950 [قانون أصول المحاكمات الجزائية, المرسوم التشريعي 112 تاريخ 13/3/1950],

13 March 1950

https://www.alkarama.org/fr/node/12997

• ISI – Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion / NRC – Norwegian Refugee Council: Nationality, documentation and statelessness in Syria, undated
  http://www.syrianationality.org/index.php?id=18
• Law No. 11 of 2013 amending the Legislative Decree No. 148 of 1949 concerning the Penal Code, adopted on 30 June 2013, original text in Arabic, published by ILO
  https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=96560
• Law No. 24 of 2018 stipulating the amendment of a few paragraphs of the Penal Code No. 148 of 22 June 1949 concerning the issue of marriage certificates outside the designated courts [القانون رقم /24/ لعام 2018 القاضي بتعديل بعض مواد قانون العقوبات الصادر بالمرسوم التشريعي رقم 148 تاريخ 22-6-1949 والمتعلقة بابرام عقود الزواج خارج المحاكم المختصة], published on 24 June 2018
  http://www.parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=201&nid=19804&RID=-1&Last=10314&First=0&CurrentPage=0&Vld=-1&Mode=&Service=-1&Loc1=&Key1=&SDate=&EDate=&Year=&Country=&Num=&Dep=-1&
• Legislative Decree No. 61/1950, Military Penal Law (Extracts), published by UNHCR
  https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1393713/1930_1487665752_58a5e1b34.pdf
• Legislative Decree No. 276 of 1969 regarding the Syrian Arab Citizenship [المرسوم التشريعي رقم 276 للعام 1969 المتعلق بالجنسية العربية السورية],
  24 November 1969
  http://parliament.gov.sy/laws/Decree/1969/civil_01.htm
• Legislative Decree 276, 24. November 1969, published in the Official gazette No. 55 on 17 December 1969, English translation, published by UNHCR
  https://www.refworld.org/country,,,LEGISLATION,SYR,,4d81e7b12,0.html
• Legislative Decree No. 110 of 2011 amending Penal Code No. 148 of 1949, adopted on 29 August 2011, original text in Arabic, published by ILO
  https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=90201
• Legislative Decree No. 8 of 2016; A general amnesty for crimes of internal and external desertion and for the crimes stated in the Military Service Law committed prior to 17 February 2016, published by UNHCR, 2 February 2016
  https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1395281/1930_1488289345_58ac08c74.pdf
• Military Penal Law adopted by legislative decree No. 61 of 27 February 1950
  [قانون العقوبات العسكري الصادر بالمرسوم التشريعي رقم 61 تاريخ 27/2/1950]
  https://www.alkarama.org/sites/default/files/2016-11/SYR_Military%20Penal%20Code_1950_AR_0.pdf
• Refworld: Country Search Syria, set filter to National Legislative Bodies
  https://www.refworld.org/publisher,NATLEGBOD,,SYR,,,0.html
• SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency: Decrees and Laws [مراسيم و قوانين], undated
  https://www.sana.sy/?cat=214
• Syrian Arab Republic: – Parliament [الجمهورية العربية السورية ـ مجلس الشعب]: Syrian Legislation [التشريعات السورية], undated
  http://www.parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=200&Service=-1&RID=-1&Vld=-1
• Syrian Penal Code [قانون العقوبات السوري], published on the website of the Syrian Ministry of Justice, undated
  http://www.moj.gov.sy/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:2013-10-01-20-45-36&catid=3:criminalgroup&Itemid=6
• TIMEP - Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy: Legislative Decree No. 18 – Military Service Amnesty, 12 June 2018
  https://timep.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/LegislativeDecree18SyriaLawBrief2018-FINAL12-6-18a.pdf
• WIPO – World Intellectual Property Organization: Penal Code (issued by Legislative Decree No. 148/1949), adopted on 22 June 1949 with amendments up to 31 March 1974
  https://wipolex.wipo.int/en/legislation/details/10918

Cite as:

ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: ecoi.net Syrian Arab Republic Law Guide, December 2018
https://www.ecoi.net/en/countries/syrian-arab-republic/law-guide/