Building the rule of law in Palestine Rule of law without freedom

Abstract

The most accurate characterization of the situation of the Palestinians of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is that it is “anticipating a rule of law system” before sovereignty has been achieved. The current political system in the Palestinian Territories is defined as “interim” under various agreements and is administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which formally serves as a branch of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).1 The laws in force in the OPTs include legislation enacted in the Ottoman Empire, during the British Mandate over Palestine, the Jordanian rule in the West Bank, the Egyptian rule in Gaza, Israeli military orders in Gaza and in the West Bank, and Palestinian Legislation enacted by the PA.