Any hospitals or individuals that are financially affected by Defence Order No. 23 are entitled to request compensation under the law, Jordan Bars Association (JBA) President Mazen Irsheidat told The Jordan Times on Tuesday over the phone.

"The hospital or individual must send a request to the prime minister, who in turn has 60 days to approve or reject the request, and even if that does not work, they can seek the judiciary to settle the matter in court,” Irsheidat said.

"This applies to any Defence Order, not only the latest one,” Irsheidat said, noting that the penalty for violating the latest defence order would be an imprisonment term of no less than three months and no more than three years.

Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh on Monday issued Defence Order No. 23 in accordance with provisions of Defence Law No.13 of the year 1992.

The first segment of the order stipulates that the minister of health is authorised to take over any hospital, partially or entirely, along with its facilities, instructing its administration and personnel to receive COVID-19 patients redirected from the ministry.

Secondly, the minister of health is also authorised to decide on COVID patients’ medical costs at private hospitals.