Laws of Somaliland: list of numbered laws since 1993

How does Somaliland make laws?

A bill becomes law when the House of Representatives and the House of Elders (Guurti) pass it and the President signs it. Money bills need only the House of Representatives (Somalilandlaw.com, Somaliland Legislation). This system began with the interim constitution of February 1997 and continued under the constitution approved by referendum in May 2001 (same source). Laws are published in the Official Gazette (Somalilandlaw.com, Official Gazette).

Laws carry one running number and the year, for example Law No. 22/2002. Laws from before 1991 also stay in force where they do not conflict with the constitution, including Somali Republic laws of 1960 to 1969 (Somalilandlaw.com, Somali Republic 1960–89 laws).

Coverage. Somalilandlaw.com, run by the lawyer Ibrahim Hashi Jama, says records from 1993 to 1996 are incomplete because of record-keeping at the House at the time (Somalilandlaw.com). The list below comes from its subject pages and stops at 2021.

Constitution, state and government

• Law No. 22/2002: Citizenship Law (text). See Somaliland citizenship law.
• Law No. 39/2010: National Human Rights Commission Law (page).
• Law No. 46/2010: Salaries and Emoluments of the President, Vice-President and Members of the Two Houses (page).
• Law No. 48/2011: National Development Commission Law (page).
• Law No. 60/2013: Statistics Law (page).
• Law No. 62/2013: Privileges of Former Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Members of Parliament; signed 28 September 2013 (page).
• Law No. 68/2014: Quality Control Commission Law (page).

Elections and parties

• Law No. 14/2000: the first law on political associations and parties (page).
• Law No. 14/2011: Regulation of Political Parties and Associations Law, signed by the President on 23 August 2011; the House passed amendments on 22 October 2011 (page).
• Law No. 20/2001: Presidential and Local Councils Elections Law, consolidated and amended in 2017 (page).
• Law No. 19/2020: Elections and Voter Registration Law (Xeerka Doorashooyinka iyo Diiwaangelinta Cod-bixiyaasha), in force on gazetting, 19 October 2020. It replaced the earlier presidential, local, parliamentary and voter registration laws (page). See Somaliland elections law.

Courts, police and crime

• Law No. 7/1995: Police Force Law, later amended (page).
• Law No. 93/1996: Structure of the Corrections Corps Law (page).
• Law No. 94/1996: Prisons Law (page).
• Law No. 24/2003: Organisation of the Judiciary Law, replaced by a new Organisation of the Judiciary Law in 2020 (page). See Courts of Somaliland.
• Law No. 30/2004: Advocates Law (page).
• Law No. 40/2009: Law banning anti-personnel mines (page).
• Law No. 51/2012: Maintenance of Public Order and Security Law (page).
• Law No. 52/2012: Piracy Law (page).
• Law No. 63/2013: Police Force Law (page).
• Law No. 78/2018: Rape and Sexual Offences Law, Xeerka Kufsiga iyo Ku Xadgudbka Jinsiga (page).
• Bill No. 78/2020: Rape, Fornication and Other Related Offences Bill, approved by the House of Representatives in 2020 to replace the 2018 law (page). See Sexual offences laws.

Money, tax and public finance

• Law No. 79/1996: Public Contracts Law (page).
• Law No. 82/1996: Circulation Tax Law (same page).
• Law No. 83/1996: Registration Tax Law (same page).
• Law No. 84/1996: Sales Tax Law (same page).
• Law No. 89/1996: Direct Taxation Law (same page).
• Law No. 91/1996: Customs Law, repealed in 2016 (same page).
• Law No. 7/1999: Office of the Auditor General Law (same page).
• Law No. 11/1999: Post and Telecommunication Taxes Law (same page).
• Law No. 12/2000: Local Government Unified Tariffs Law (same page).
• Law No. 64/2013: Roads Development Levies Law, passed by the House on 24 September 2013 (page).
• Law No. 72/2016: Inland Revenue Taxes Law (page).
• Law No. 73/2016: Customs Law (same page).
• Law No. 75/2016: Public Finances and Management Law, 57 articles (same page).
• Law No. 76/2016: State Auditor General Law, 70 articles (same page).

Banks, business and investment

• Law No. 29/2004: Foreign Investment Law (page).
• Law No. 55/2012: Islamic Banks Law, 41 articles, signed 3 October 2012 (page).
• Law No. 80/2018: Companies Law (page).
• Law No. 86/2019: Money Transfer Businesses Law (page).
• Law No. 92/2020: Insurance Agency Law (page).
• Law No. 93/2021: Special Economic Zones Law (page).
• Law No. 94/2021: Ports Agency Law (same page).
• Law No. 99/2021: Investment Law (page).

Land, sea, transport and environment

• Law No. 70/2017: Civil Aviation Authority Law (page).
• Law No. 79/2018: Environmental Management Law (page).
• Law No. 83/2018: Urban Waste Management and Sanitation Law (page).
• Law No. 84/2018: Fisheries Law (page).
• Law No. 85/2018: Coastguard Law (page).

Social laws

• Law No. 7/1996: Civil Service Law (page).
• Law No. 19/2001: Health Professionals Commission Law (page).
• Law No. 77/2018: National Education Law (page).

Related pages

• Constitution of Puntland
• Somaliland institutions