Universal House of Justice

The House of Justice is one of the most important Baha'i institutions worldwide. It consists of elected councils which operate at local, national and international level.

History

The institution of the Local House of Justice goes back to Baha'u'llah's Kitab -i -Aqdas. He writes: "The Lord has commanded that in every city a House of Justice is put in place in which to gather Advisory on the number Baha. If this number is exceeded, this does no harm. " Abdschad The numerical value of the Arabic term Baha is nine. All councils now have nine members, the prescribed minimum number of Baha'u'llah. The local and subordinate Houses of Justice are still called the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi saw it as a provisional designation, the " be better understood in the same extent as the position and aims of the Bahai faith and be recognized comprehensive, gradually through the final, more appropriate name" would be replaced houses of justice.

The Local Spiritual Assemblies are formed in all the cities, towns and villages in which a Baha'i community exists with at least nine adult members. The age of majority has Shoghi Effendi established for this purpose provisionally at 21 years and noticed that it could be regulated differently from the Universal House of Justice in the future. The local Spiritual Assemblies annually on 1 Ridvan ( April 20-21, see also:. Bahai calendar) of all adult believers of the church directly elected. Selected is free and secret on the principle of majority voting in the spirit of prayer - without candidates show or campaign. At exactly nine members may be dispensed a choice. Ridvan 2004, there were over 9,600 Local Spiritual Assemblies.

The National Spiritual Assemblies are elected annually indirectly by members of the whole community. Abdu'l-Baha used for the National Spiritual Assembly of the term "secondary House of Justice " and makes it clear that, despite his leadership tasks - is secondary - as seen from the local and the global level ago. The National Spiritual Assembly of Germany in 1922 was elected for the first time. Worldwide, there are currently 183 National Spiritual Assemblies.

The Universal House of Justice represents the highest international body of the Baha'i faith, based in Haifa, Israel. It was prescribed by Baha'u'llah in the Kitab -i -Aqdas and consists of nine men. Women can not be selected at the international level. The Universal House of Justice is elected in a cycle of five years by the delegates of the National Spiritual Assemblies. The House of Justice was first elected in 1963. The statutes of this institution were adopted in 1972.

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