Afghanistan is an Islamic theocratic emirate ruled by the Taliban movement, in which the supreme leader's word is law and religious doctrine. Supreme leaders issue decrees from isolation in Kandahar, which are the ultimate source of all law. There is a process for the drafting of legislation, initiated by the relevant cabinet ministry and then screened by the Ministry of Justice for approval by the supreme leader. This process exists only to assist the supreme leader and he regularly enacts law without it. The formality of the process varies, but any order from the supreme leader becomes law once he speaks it, so all that are conveyed to the public by Taliban representatives are listed here regardless of whether there is a written decree. Hibatullah Akhundzada has been supreme leader since the Taliban took control of the government in August 2021, and he has issued a large number of decrees, many of which have imposed his cultural views, ultraconservative even by Taliban standards, on the country with no opportunity for public consultation.[1] [2] [3] [4]
| Date promulgated | Description | Text/quote | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment of caretaker cabinet led by Hasan Akhund. | https://www.alemarahenglish.af/statement-of-islamic-emirate-of-afghanistan-regarding-cabinet-announcement/ | [5] | ||
| Outlines the civil rights of women, including marriage and property rights, and instructs the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Supreme Court, and provincial and district governors to implement them. | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1466663907750256642 | [6] | ||
| Creates a Kandahar ulama council to address provincial issues. In reality Akhundzada has since been consulting it on matters of national importance. | https://da.azadiradio.com/a/31648812.html | [7] [8] | ||
| Bans the production of opium and all other narcotics. | https://www.alemarahenglish.af/decree-of-amir-al-momenin-regarding-prohibition-of-poppy-cultivation-and-any-intoxicants/ | [9] | ||
| Orders women to only leave their homes when necessary, and to fully cover their bodies when they do, preferably with a burqa, and approves punishments for male guardians of women violating the order. | https://twitter.com/MOPVPE1/status/1522882293718818816 | [10] | ||
| Bans Taliban members from taking multiple wives. | https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/1527667878803161088 | [11] | ||
| Announces death toll of the June 2022 Afghanistan earthquake and orders response efforts. | https://ocs.gov.af/en/news_details/1122 | [12] | ||
| Bans criticism of the regime (referred to euphemistically as "false accusations"). | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1550154759209893888 | [13] | ||
| Nullifies the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan and the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan. | [14] | |||
| Orders judges to implement corporal punishments for all Hudud and Qisas offenses. | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1591824999870259200 | [15] [16] | ||
| Creates Ulema councils in 13 provinces to manage local issues. | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1612731118520000514https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1613069286465212416 | [17] | ||
| Appointment of Mohammad Esa Thani as Acting Minister of Public Works. | [18] | |||
| Appointment of Hanif Abada as Chief of Police of Ghor Province and Qari Gul Haider as Deputy Governor of Ghazni Province. | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1619602013117100032 | [19] | ||
| Prohibits the cultivation of hemp and cannabis and orders the Ministry of Interior Affairs to bring violators to court. Mandates the destruction of crops and orders courts to punish violators. | https://www.alemarahenglish.af/esteemed-amir-ul-momineen-orders-ban-on-cultivation-of-hemp/ | [20] | ||
| Prohibits government officials from hiring relatives. Applies retroactively so that any relatives already hired must be fired. | [21] | |||
| Orders destruction of all seized drugs and alcohol and the tools used to make them, and orders punishment of producers and sellers. Directs the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the General Directorate of Intelligence, and the Ministry of Public Health to implement the order before the courts. | https://www.alemarahenglish.af/?p=55950 | |||
| Eid al-Fitr message. Outlines codes of conduct for judges and security forces. | https://www.alemarahenglish.af/?p=56344 | [22] | ||
| Temporary appointment of Abdul Kabir as Acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan while Hasan Akhund was recovering from an illness in Kandahar. Hasan Akhund returned to Kabul on 17 July. | https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1658752140339298304 | [23] [24] | ||
| Bans hair and beauty salons, effective in one month. | https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/1676074341539217408 | [25] |