| Under Article 340, any man who has murdered his wife or one of his female family members can count on a reduction in punishment if he did so after having caught her committing adultery. Before the 2001 amendment, Article 340 provided for a total exemption from punishment in certain circumstances, although it was rarely invoked. In an attempt to make this law "gender neutral", a second clause was added in 2001 which ensures that female attackers can also receive the same reduction of sentence. Effective exemption: Article 98 The part of the Penal Code most frequently invoked by perpetrators of honour killings is Article 98. This statute provides for a reduction in punishment for an offender (of both sexes) who commits a crime in a "state of great anger" as a result of an unlawful and dangerous act committed by the victim. We advocate the abolition of these articles of law.Honour killings should be seen as an aggravating circumstance in Jordan, as in all EU member states, and the local police should present all perpetrators of honour killings to the judges on the basis of the true story. Jordan should use its legislation to connect with more developed countries and reconsider the special position of perpetrators of honour killings in order to combat the phenomenon effectively. |