The Legal Status of Labour Contract Parties under Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Qatar and Palestine

• Main Author: Mahmoud Dodeen
• Format: Article
• Language: Arabic
• Published: Qatar University Press 2021-06-01
• Series: International Review of Law
• Subjects: Labor contracts; Corona Pandemic; Force majeure; Hardship; Contractual obligations
• Online Access: https://journals.qu.edu.qa/index.php/IRL/article/view/1897

The study addressed the impact of the Corona virus (Covid-19) on labour contracts in Qatari and Palestinian labor laws, while these two laws did not include special and explicit provisions dealing with the case in question. The study used the comparative analytical method to characterize the pandemic, and the governmental measures taken in this regard, to apply the result of this characterization to labour contracts and the potential disputes that arise therefrom. The study aimed at finding legal solutions to these various disputes in a manner consistent with the labor law, its various sources, and the civil law. It is concluded that the current legal texts in labor laws and the general rules of the theories of force majeure and hardship are not appropriate in such a context. Accordingly, the study calls for legislative interventions to address the impact of unusual public incidents and closure of facilities on the obligations of parties to labor relation.