Guardianship Over the Person (Wilāyah ʿalā al-Nafs) in Jordan

Guardianship over the person under Jordanian law is the guardian's authority over the minor's personal affairs. Article 184 of the Personal Status Law provides that the guardian has the right to oversee the child's affairs, upbringing, education, and guidance, so this guardianship concerns decisions relating to the minor's person, not his funds.

Among its features: the child's travel outside the Kingdom is only by the guardian's consent or the court's permission if he refuses, under Article 177, and the guardian has a role in choosing education under Articles 190 and 191. The holder of this guardianship is determined by the order in Article 223 — the father, then his trustee, then the true grandfather, then the court or whom it appoints.

Guardianship over the person is removed only for an objective cause, such as loss of capacity or withdrawal of guardianship by court ruling under Article 228, or the guardian's absence addressed in Article 225.

Assessing whether guardianship over the person exists and its limits remains within the Sharia Court's competence on the facts of each case.

This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.