Oman
Religious (Islamic) law is a leading source
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Oman is a civil-law country. Its Basic Law of 2021 replaced the Basic Statute of 1996, and Islamic law is a main source of legislation. Most Omanis follow the Ibadi school of Islam, which shapes family law. A Civil Transactions Law took effect in 2013.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Where the law comes from
- The Basic Law of 2021, the highest law
- Codes and royal decrees, such as the Civil Transactions Law of 2013
- Islamic law, especially in family matters, drawn largely from the Ibadi school
- Decisions of the Supreme Court
The main courts
- The Supreme Court at the top of the ordinary courts
- Courts of appeal and primary courts, with Sharia circuits for family matters
- The Administrative Court for disputes with public bodies
Becoming a lawyer
A law degree and registration with the Ministry of Justice.
What may surprise you
- Oman's Ibadi tradition is distinct from both the Sunni and the Shia schools.
- Administrative disputes have their own court.
- Laws are issued largely by royal decree, which makes legal sources different from those in elected-parliament systems.
Related systems
How this country is classified
The University of Ottawa’s JuriGlobe database lists Oman as: Muslim, Customary, Civil law. It names the systems in order of importance.
The map colours a country by the first-named system, and shows both civil-law and common-law countries as “mixed”. It is a simplification, and real systems are rarely pure.
Other countries in the same family
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan.
Sources
Sources last reviewed: October 2026.
TheLawToKnow Tools’s Legal Families Atlas is an educational overview. It simplifies on purpose, and it is not legal advice. For a real legal question about Oman, consult a lawyer qualified there. Report a mistake.
